


A New Home

by AttackoftheDarkCurses



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends with Rose, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Growing Up Together, Growing Up on Ahch-To, Humor, Leia Organa Ships It, Raised by Luke Skywalker, Rey Kenobi, Slow Burn Rey/Kylo Ren, Summers with the Solos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-03-09
Packaged: 2019-03-25 08:16:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 56,945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13830144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AttackoftheDarkCurses/pseuds/AttackoftheDarkCurses
Summary: Orphaned as a child, Rey goes to live with Luke Skywalker, an old friend of her grandfather's. She grows up spending summers and holidays with the Solos, and finally finds her home.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Everyone always seems to start stories by saying "I own nothing", so here it goes: Obviously I don't own Star Wars. I'm just having fun dropping well-loved characters into a different universe. This is AU (no force/jedi/etc) and will eventually earn an E rating. It'll take a while before that happens (17ish chapters). I know I have this labeled as Reylo, but it'll take quite a few chapters for the characters to even be at an age where that's an appropriate possibility.

"I'm sorry, Rey. I wish I could have done more."

She looked up and saw the remorse in Luke's eyes – the eyes that swam with the realization that a best friend, loving grandfather, and wonderful teacher was gone and would never return. The look on her new guardian's face was painfully familiar. It was the same look she'd seen on her grandfather when he'd had to give her similar news about her parents. Except this time, the person who left hadn't chosen to. He hadn't left at all. He'd been taken from her, and somehow that was more painful. Maybe, she thought, it was because he could never choose to return.

She'd been four when they'd left her at Grandpa Kenobi's. She didn't remember much before that; the memories were a haze of loneliness and hunger with very little happiness in between. She held out hope for so long that they'd return and her Grandfather had never discouraged it; he just gave her sad smiles and replied that their destinies must lay on a different path than hers did. Rey never quite understood what he meant, but she supposed it was nicer than completely stripping away her hope.

Rey had gotten almost six years with him. Six years of unconditional love - six years of never wondering if he'd be there when she got home from school, or if she'd have food that day. She supposed she should be thankful for the time they'd had together, but today she was too overwhelmed with the anger she felt for his death and the disease that had caused it.

*******

The trip to Ahch-To was long, and Rey hadn't thought to bring anything to keep her busy. All of her belongings, sparse as they were, were being transported separately. She glanced out the window of the train, watched the rain fall, and felt a strange sense of comfort that the gloomy weather matched her mood. It couldn't be sunny today. That would have been wrong.

"So, the train will get us to the coast. From there, we'll take a ferry to Ahch-To. It's a small island. I'd invited your grandfather a few times, but he never had time to make the trip." Luke paused. "Rey, I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry you're going through this. Ahch-To isn't an ideal place for you to grow up, but I promise I'll do my best. I know I'm not your grandfather, and I know we don't know each other well – or at all - but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure…to make sure you're happy. Happy, and safe, and not alone." He sighed, and pulled his fingers through short, greying hair.

She forced a half-hearted smile for his benefit.

"Thanks, Mr. Skywalker."

"Maybe we should go with Luke. Only a few other families live on the island, so maybe we should get to know each other a bit better." Luke gave a bit of a grin, and for a minute, Rey's sad smile was a little more genuine. "Is there anything you want to know about me, or where we're going?"

Rey thought for a minute before asking "How did you know my grandpa?"

"Oh," Luke said, sounding a bit surprised, "I thought he might have mentioned that. Here you are moving away to live with someone you've never met, and I haven't even explained why. I'm sorry," he said quickly, shaking his head, "I'm doing this all wrong. Okay." He paused, and exhaled, figuring out where to begin, "Well, I've known your grandfather since I was 18. He was the best teacher I ever had, and when I was at college I tried to take as many of his classes as possible. Ben was the first person to ever encourage me to pursue writing. He ended up being my adviser all the way through grad school and we kept in close contact when I graduated. He was my closest friend. Actually, we even co-authored a book."

"You're a writer?"

"Thanks to your grandfather," Luke nodded, "I owe him so much – before I met him I was a business major. My uncle had been preparing me to take over the family business for years and I felt like it was my only option before Ben suggested otherwise. He even helped me track down my sister." Luke looked up and noticed Rey's confusion. "My mother died when my sister and I were born. Our father had died just before she gave birth, so we were both put up for adoption. My aunt and uncle were only able to take one of us – they never even told me I had a sister until I was a teenager. I guess they felt guilty for letting us be separated. But anyway, to answer your question, yes. I'm a writer. Maybe that's why I'm so longwinded," he chuckled. "I write science fiction."

It took a minute for her to process. It was overwhelming, knowing her new guardian had somewhat of an understanding of what she'd been through. His parents hadn't left willingly, but he'd lost them all the same.

"Why don't you tell me something about yourself," he suggested kindly.

"My name's Rey," she paused, feeling stupid. Obviously he knew that already, but he smiled and nodded, urging her to continue. "I'm ten. Do you have any pets? I've always wanted a pet but Grandpa said I couldn't have one until I turned ten, but my birthday was last week…" she trailed off when she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. "He wasn't there for my birthday."

Luke heart hurt for her. She'd been so strong since finding out about her grandfather – she hadn't cried in front of him once, and seeing her reaction now made Luke realize how much she'd been holding in.

"I didn't know it was your birthday last week, Rey. I'm sorry. I'm guessing you don't feel like celebrating?" He watched her shake her head. "Well, I have a little good news for you. I have two cats, and I'm sure they'll appreciate your company."

Rey's eyes lit up a bit. "You do?" she asked, excitement creeping into her sad voice, "What are their names?"

"Well, I'm not going to lie, one of them is a bit of a snob – that's C3-PO, but the other one, R2, is really friendly. The usually get along pretty well, and sometimes they get into trouble. Maybe you can help me keep them in line," he said, giving her a conspiratorial wink.

Rey's nose wrinkled and she gave Luke a look that was somewhere between amused and confused. "Those are silly names."

He laughed, "Yes, I guess they are. They're named after two characters from one of my favorite books. I guess they're pretty silly, but maybe when you get a bit older you can read the books and you'll understand."

*******

Hours later (though it felt like days to Rey, who was impatiently waiting to meet the two cats she'd be sharing a home with), they arrived on Ahch-To, and Rey wasn't sure how to feel about her new home. The island was much smaller than she'd expected. She'd never been on an island before, and somehow it hadn't clicked in her mind that her new home was basically on a giant rock out on the water. It was quiet, and it was beautiful, but it also seemed lonely.

"I know this might not be what you expected," Luke said apologetically while leading her up the stone steps to his home, "But I usually get a lot of attention once people find out where I live. My books are pretty popular," he admitted, as if it was an embarrassing fact, "I actually had a stalker for a little while. I'm not much of a people person, and honestly moving out here to write was much easier."

When they arrived at a large stone residence (one of just a few that Rey could see), Luke opened the door and held it for her. It was much larger on the inside than it looked, and with relief, she noticed that her belongings were waiting for her just inside.

"Your bedroom is upstairs. There are a few other kids, about your age, on the island, so I'll make sure you meet them once you get settled in. I know it'll take a while getting used to living on an island, but I think you'll like it. You can wait a few weeks to start classes, if you'd like."

"Classes?" Rey asked, nervously. Was he going to ship her off to a boarding school?

"Yes, one of the women who lives here teaches – you'll meet her soon. Classes here are much more flexible than schools on the mainland. It's more of a hands-on learning method. Personally I think it's much-"

Luke was interrupted by a slight shriek as Rey spotted the golden-haired tabby cat that was coming down the stairs to investigate the boxes that had been piled by the door.

"He's so cute!" Rey whispered excitedly, slowly approaching the curious cat.

"That's C3PO. I usually I just call him 3PO. Don't be disappointed if he runs off before you can pick him up – he can be a bit of a scaredy cat."

Rey replied with the first giggle Luke had heard from her as she gently reached down and picked up the now purring tabby.

"Huh. What do you know? Maybe he's just standoffish with me," Luke commented, amused.

Rey continued to hug the little cat as long as he let her, before meowing his sudden discontent and jumping from her arms.

"Well, that's a typical cat for you. Loving one minute, annoyed with you the next," Luke laughed, "Why don't we bring your things upstairs and you can track down R2. He'll probably let you carry him around."

"What color is R2?" Rey asked, her mood vastly improved. Luke was relieved to see that she was pleased with at least one aspect of her new home.

"Silver, with some white. He has big blue eyes that get even bigger when he thinks you've got fish. He's a long-haired cat, so if you're up to it, I could use some help brushing him every few days."

"Really?" Rey beamed, "I'd love to."

She grabbed one of her boxes and started climbing the stairs to her room, leaving Luke by the door.

Before following her, Luke leaned against the door, sighing a sigh full of nervousness and anticipation. Within weeks his life had been changed forever.

He whispered to the empty room, "Welcome home, kid."

*******

It hadn't taken long for her to settle in. It helped that Luke had helped her decorate her room, introduced her to the others on the island, and insisted on cooking her favorite meals. He may not have been her grandfather, or even a relative, but he was a much better guardian than she could have ever hoped for. It seemed to Rey that he actually cared about her, and somehow, that helped relieve some of her pain. The cats didn't hurt.

She'd even made a friend – something she'd never managed to do in a large school. Rose, a short, quiet, and very sweet girl about her age had been thrilled to have a new friend on the sparsely inhabited island. They were at the same levels in classes, so they usually took turns meeting at each other's houses to do homework and projects together. She took to Rose quickly, and was truly starting to feel like she could find a home on the island.

Rey mulled this all over one night a few months after her arrival on Ahch-To. She'd just climbed into bed – the one Luke had adorably decorated in a horrid shade of pink bedding (though she'd never tell him that), and started reading a new book when a silver ball of fluff jumped up on her lap and started head-butting said book. Rey giggled, put the book to her side and gently circled her arms around the sweet and zany cat. He purred and settled into her lap, resting just enough to allow her to pick the book back up and finish reading.

"…yes Han," she heard Luke say, sounding exasperated, "I'm serious."

Luke was on the phone, she realized.

"Han, I'm not kidding!" he paused, "Yes, she's living here."

Rey's ears perked up. He was talking about her. She set the book down, moved the reluctant cat, and inched closer to the door to hear the one-sided conversation.

"Really well. She's…wonderful. Ben did a hell of a job."

Tears welled up in Rey's eyes at the mention of her grandfather, and at Luke's praise.

"Of course I've got her enrolled in classes," Luke waited for the reply before continuing "I'm capable of taking care of another human, you know." He sounded mildly annoyed. "Yes, I know humans are harder to take care of than cats. I seem to recall a few questionable parenting moments in your past, you know…"

He laughed at the other person's response, then said "Yeah, I'll bring her for a visit. Over the holidays, maybe?...Okay, that should work. Okay, take care of my sister. Bye Han, tell Kylo I said 'Hi'."

Rey realized he'd hung up and started walking toward her room. He might have had good things to say about her, but she still didn't want Luke to know she'd been listening in. She jumped back onto her bed and grabbed the book she was supposed to be reading for class when he knocked on her door.

"Hey Rey, can I come in for a minute?"

"Sure," she replied, hurrying to make it seem like she'd been lying in bed reading, rather than pressing her ear against the door.

He poked his head through the door as he opened it, and smiled to see her relaxing with R2.

"I knew he'd like you."

"He's so friendly," she said gently, her hand smoothing over the cat's fur, "I think he'd like anyone."

"Hmm, I'm not so sure," Luke joked. "Sorry to interrupt your reading, but I wanted to talk to you before you went to bed."

"Is everything okay?" Rey asked as Luke walked over to the desk opposite her bed, sitting down at her desk chair.

"Of course – more than okay," his smile was genuine, and she returned a similar one. "The holidays are coming up soon. I usually spend them here, but I thought that might be a little lonely for the two of us. I thought maybe we could travel somewhere instead." He paused, trying to judge her reaction. "Do you want to meet my sister?"

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now have Tumblr! Come find me at AttackoftheDarkCurses :D


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the Falcon is less than reliable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miraculously, I had a good chunk of time today to write, so I decided to post this chapter! I can't imagine I'll be lucky enough to have the time to churn out a 2-3K chapter every day, but I do have about 10 chapters planned ahead, so hopefully I won't take too long between each one. Thanks in advance for your feedback! This is going to be pretty fluffy.

"So what are they like?" Rey asked curiously while struggling to pull on her boots. She'd made the mistake of putting her mittens and overstuffed jacket on before the boots and was too stubborn to take them off again, though it would have made the process faster.

"Who, Han and Leia?" Luke replied casually, trying not to laugh at the girl who was surprisingly less coordinated while bundled up in winter clothing.

It had been three months since Luke first suggested visiting his family, and a little over half a year since Rey had first stepped onto Ahch-To. Every day a bit of her pain seeped away and was replaced with comfort, contentment, and a feeling of stability. At first she'd been worried about how quiet and lonely the island seemed, but Rose and her older sister, Paige, kept her so busy that Rey barely had time to feel sad.

"Yeah! What are they like? Are they nice? Do they have any pets?"

"Is that all it takes for you to like people? Pets?" Luke teased.

"No…but it helps." Rey admitted reluctantly.

"Unfortunately I'm not sure. I haven't been to visit them in a few years," Luke explained, opening the door for Rey, who had finally managed to tie up her boots. "Though, last time I was there they had a really fluffy dog. He had a funny name…" Luke thought for a minute, trying to remember. "Chewie! I think his name was Chewie. Cute dog, but he had some bad habits. I lost a nice pair of sneakers to him during that trip. But anyway, I think you'll like them. I didn't meet Leia until I was at college, but once we met we spent a long time trying to…well, make up for lost time, I guess. I'm sure you'll like her."

Rey thought about it for a minute before nodding. If Leia was anything like her brother, Rey was sure they'd get along well.

*******

The ferry ride was considerably colder than Rey'd expected, and she found herself feeling grateful that Luke insisted she wear such heavy clothing. They hurried into the warm, enclosed space on the boat and found some seats, storing their bags underneath.

"So," Rey started again on her mini-interrogation, "What do they do?"

"For work?" Luke saw Rey nod from the seat across from him. "Well, my sister was raised by a senator and he made a lot of smart decisions with his money. I'm not really sure they need to work, but Leia runs a nonprofit. I forget the name, but it involves helping educate underprivileged children, and advocating for education reform. It keeps her pretty busy – it seems like every time I talk to her she's organizing some new fundraising event for it. Han helps her sometimes, but as far as I know, he still spends a lot of his time as a mechanic. I think lately he's been restoring old cars. As for when they aren't working," Luke paused, then scoffed and gave a half-smile, "I'm pretty sure Kylo keeps them busy."

"Kylo?" Rey tilted her head a bit, questioningly.

"Their son - my nephew. His name is actually Ben, after your grandfather, but he's been insisting on 'Kylo' for years now. I think it's silly, but it's easier to just go along with it. He's…wow, he's probably turned 19 now. I haven't seen him in years, but he's been causing trouble since he was your age," Luke chuckled, "Leia handles it well but poor Han's never gotten used to it."

He looked up and noticed Rey's wide eyes, "Oh, don't worry. He might be a bit difficult to get along with, but he's a good kid. The good part's just…well, buried a little deeper."

"Oh," Rey whispered, unsure of how to respond.

"Stop worrying, kid. They're going to love you," he gave her a smile, then reached down into his bag and pulled out a small package wrapped in light blue paper (he'd finally figured out her dislike of pink). "I have an early present for you."

Rey's anxiety disappeared in a flash as she accepted the package and carefully opened it. Inside she found a thin, soft piece of wood. It smelled like the cedar trees that had surrounded her Grandpa's house. She looked up at Luke, confused.

"I know, it seems weird. I promise I'm not just giving you a weird piece of wood as a present. Turn it over," Luke watched her turn the item over to find her initials burned into the wood. "I was going through some of the boxes from your grandfather's study last week, and I found that along with a birthday card," he explained, lifting his bag to find the card. "It's a bookmark. I think he was planning on giving it to you for your birthday. I'm sorry I didn't find it sooner."

Tears formed in her eyes as she accepted the envelope Luke was handing her. She opened it to find a card lovingly filled out with the same handwriting she'd seen on every other birthday card she'd ever received. Wiping her tears on the knit scarf Luke had insisted she wear, Rey stood up and took a step toward him, then leaned over to give him the first hug she'd ever willingly given to someone other than her grandfather. His surprise was obvious, but after a second, he wrapped his arms around her and returned the hug.

"Thanks Luke," she sighed quietly, her voice laced with heavy emotion.

"Anytime, kid."

*******

The trip was exhausting, and as excited and anxious as she was to arrive, Rey couldn't manage to stay awake. In fact, she fell asleep within minutes after getting into the passenger's seat of the car Luke had rented to drive them the rest of the way to Leia and Han's.

After what must have been hours, she heard Luke's voice cutting through the dream she'd been having, and she groggily opened her eyes.

"Is that the Falcon? I can't believe they're still driving that hunk of junk…"

Rey was still coming out of her nap when she felt the car come to a stop. Snow had been coming down hard, and the sky was dark. They hadn't arrived yet, and she had no idea where they were or how close they were to their destination, but she noticed they were pulling over to stop behind an old gray car that was on the side of the road.

"Rey, are you awake?" Luke asked softly, looking over at her. "Hey, did you have a good nap?"

"I'm sorry," Rey sat up, feeling guilty she'd fallen asleep, "I should have kept you company. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"Hey, stop worrying," he reassured, "I'm glad you got some rest."

She looked out the window and saw nothing but snow. She didn't see any homes, or any other cars but the one they were parked behind. "Are we there?"

"No, actually, I think that's Han's car. I don't know why they'd be driving it in this weather (or at all, his voice implied), but I'm going to see if anyone's inside. We might need to give them a boost. Stay in the car, okay? I'll be right back."

Rey nodded, all too happy to stay inside the warm, cozy car while the weather outside looked miserable. Luke checked for oncoming cars and left the vehicle, walking quickly to the one ahead of them. He leaned down by the driver's window, but the snow was coming down so hard that Rey had trouble making out many details. She saw the driver's door open, and watched someone get out of the car. She could see that the driver was a bit shorter than Luke, with dark hair, but she struggled to see anything else. Luke spent a minute with the driver before looking back to Rey, waving her toward them. She perked up and fumbled with her bulky mittens to unlock her door and join them outside.

Rey rushed toward Luke, and noticed that the driver he was speaking to was a woman with her dark brown hair put up into an intricate braid. She was wearing a thick white jacket, and smiled fondly at Luke – a smile that got bigger when she saw Rey approaching.

"Rey?" the woman asked.

"Yes, this is Rey," Luke answered for her, then said with a wide smile: "Rey, come say hi – this is my sister, Leia."

Rey gave a shy and tentative wave, feeling nervous to meet someone who was obviously very important to Luke.

"Hi sweetheart," the woman began kindly, "It's so nice to meet you. I knew your grandfather – he was a wonderful man." Rey looked up at her, and noticed the woman's comforting smile.

"Thanks, I miss him."

Leia's heart clenched, hearing that the girl's accent matched that of the kind man she'd met years earlier.

The three of them were quiet for a minute, until the wind picked up and they all remembered that they were outside, on the side of the road in the middle of a snowstorm.

"This rust-bucket stopped," Leia disdainfully looked at the car, "Han thought I'd be safer driving it in this storm – I don't know why I listened to him." She sighed. "I'm not sure what happened. It has plenty of gas and it was driving well for a while. Do you mind taking a look?"

"Sure," Luke answered, then let out a quick laugh, "But don't get your hopes up. I'm not the mechanic in the family."

He walked to the front of the car and gestured for Leia to get back in the driver's seat. Rey followed him and watched as he opened up the hood and glanced inside, inspected a few parts and unhooked, then reattached some clips.

"Try it now?" he shouted to Leia. The car made a loud noise – one Rey suspected wasn't normal for a car – then sputtered, and stopped.

Luke closed the hood, and laughed when Leia yelled back to him "Would it help if I got out and pushed?"

"I doubt it," he said, his voice still sounding amused, "Why don't you just get in with us. Han can come pick this thing up when the storm dies down and the roads get cleared up."

Leia sighed, then nodded in agreement.

*******

"Whaddya mean she broke down? The Falcon's the most reliable car out there! Are you sure it wasn't something you did?"

Luke and Rey watched quietly as Leia tried to explain what had happened to the car.

"Reliable?" she half-whispered, unbelievingly, then scoffed. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laser-brain."

"Laser-brain?" Han's face was a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Who are you calling laser-brain?"

Rey broke the tension with a gleeful laugh she'd been trying to hold back. Once she started laughing Luke joined in – their reaction earned a smile from Leia, and a smirk from Han.

Han shook his head and sighed, "Okay, okay, I'll go pick her up tomorrow."

*******

It only took a few minutes for Rey to drift off to sleep once she'd been shown the big, soft bed Leia had made for her in one of their guest rooms. She wanted to spend more time visiting that evening, but after a sandwich and some hot cocoa, her eyes felt impossibly hard to keep open. After the third time she'd started to fall asleep on the couch in the sitting room, Luke insisted she go to bed. Rey didn't put up much of a fight, and sleepily admitted defeat.

"You two are adorable," Leia whispered. Luke had just closed the door to the room Rey was staying in and found his sister waiting for him in the hallway. They turned to walk down the stairs, back in the direction of the sitting room.

"Oh, don't tell her that," Luke warned, "She doesn't like it when people think she's 'cute' or 'adorable'. Rey's under the impression," he explained, "that she's a very tough kid. And she is," he admitted. "She's been through a lot in the last ten years." Leia nodded, remembering the details of the girl's past that Luke had told her, "She has thick skin – doesn't like to show much about how she's feeling. It seems like she's constantly trying to keep a level head…unless, of course, she's hungry, or tired, or there's a cat…"

"Oh Luke," Leia interrupted him, laughing, "She's got you wrapped around her finger."

Luke shot her a glare that was only half serious, then gave her a mischievous grin. "Every word of what you just said is wrong."

"Sure it is," Leia chuckled.

*******

Sunlight had been bursting in through the window for hours, reflecting off the snow that had piled up overnight. Rey's nose wrinkled, and she rolled over to bury her face in an overstuffed pillow, trying to block out the light. The guest bed she'd fallen asleep in was so comfortable that she would have happily spent all day in it.

"Rey?" She groaned. Luke was calling for her from the hall.

"I'm up," she replied reluctantly, then rolled out of bed and slid on some socks. The house was warm, but the season still warranted the thick knit socks she'd brought.

Still in pajamas, Rey bounded down the stairs, much more willing to take part in the day when she smelled breakfast.

"There she is," Han declared, "we thought you might sleep all day, kid. Luke will be back down in a minute. I think he's trying to wake up Kylo," he gave a bitter laugh, "Good luck to him. Whenever I try to wake that kid up he acts like I'm trying to kill him or something."

Rey hesitated. Had she really slept that late?

"Don't listen to him sweetheart," Leia assured her, scolding Han with a look she'd mastered over years of marriage. "It's just after 9. We haven't been up long."

Rey relaxed and took a seat at the bar in the middle of the large, sunny kitchen, and watched the couple bustle around, getting breakfast ready.

"Do you need any help?" she asked, realizing it might be rude that she hadn't offered.

"She speaks!" Han exclaimed, a faux look of surprise on his face.

"Stop giving her a hard time!" Leia elbowed him, then smiled at Rey and leaned against the counter. "Thanks Rey, but I think we're all set. Breakfast is almost ready. Bacon and eggs sound okay? We've got bread for toast, too. Of course, we also have a few boxes of cereal if you'd like that more. There are muffins - blueberry and…cranberry, I think? Oh, bagels too."

"Bacon and eggs would be great," Rey answered, a little overwhelmed by her options.

"I'll have the same!" Luke added as he came down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey kid, how'd you sleep?"

"I missed R2, but I was really tired."

Luke patted her shoulder, "Don't worry kid, Rose and Paige's parents said they'd be spoiling R2 and '3PO while we're here. I'm sure they're doing fine. We can call later and check if you'd like."

Rey nodded, relieved.

"Did Kylo come down? I tried knocking but he didn't answer."

"Nope," Leia replied, "Last one up, as usual. We'll be lucky if he's down by noon."

"Typical teenager then, huh?" Luke huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back into the chair next to Rey.

"Good morning to you too, Uncle." Rey heard a deep, somewhat gruff (and possibly grumpy) voice and looked toward the kitchen entry to see a tall and lean person coming toward them. He was dressed mostly in black – black sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a black robe. He had long, dark hair that came almost as far as his shoulders. "You're in my seat."

It took a minute to register in Rey's mind that he was talking to her.

"Do you need help finding another one?" she asked, annoyed.

He frowned, and she turned red, embarrassed she'd been rude to a member of the family she'd found to be so welcoming.

"It's not a battle worth fighting, Kylo," Leia admonished, "There are four other seats to choose from. It won't kill you to try one of them."

He grumbled and shuffled over to a different seat. Rey noticed he'd picked the one furthest from her. He sat down, crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at her.

She smiled sweetly at him and when she thought no one was looking, stuck her tongue out at him.

Luke glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I saw that, kid," he whispered, "No provoking the moody teen, okay?"

She turned bright red and nodded, giving Luke an apologetic look, only to see Kylo smirking at her from behind Luke's shoulder.

This was going to be an interesting visit.

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Rey Meets Chewie, and spends the winter holiday with Luke and the Solos


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is pizza.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, the visit with the Solos was supposed to only take a chapter, but at this point it'll be 3 chapters, which leads me to believe this fic will be considerably longer than I originally intended. I'm estimating 15-20 chapters minimum. I'm going to try to keep updating a few times a week. If you don't love reading fluff, I have bad news for you - this story is considerably fluffier than originally intended. Some of the later chapters will be more serious, but for now, Rey's just enjoying being a kid.

"Hey Rey," Luke said softly, sitting down on the edge of her bed as he reached out to feel her forehead. "Yeah, still pretty warm. I think you need to stay in tonight."

Rey groaned. It was only the second week of their month-long stay with the Solos and here she was, stuck in bed with some sort of miserable cold. Luke handed her a little cup of the unpleasant cherry syrup and she drank it quickly, her distaste for it obvious.

Luke laughed, "It could be worse. Remember when I got you to try the milk everyone drinks on Ahch-To?"

She grimaced. Yes, she remembered the blue milk clearly, no matter how much she tried to forget.

"Are you sure I can't go?" Her voice was scratchy – her throat was raw and inflamed.

"Definitely. You're not going anywhere. Leia and Han still need to go since they're the ones putting on the dinner, but I can stay here with you."

The girl shook her head. Leia had been talking about the benefit dinner all week and Rey had heard her mention that many of the guests who bought tickets were coming just to meet Luke. "You should go. Hanging out with you all night would be so  _boring_ ," she joked.

"Me,  _boring_? Never! Plus, if I went you'd probably be stuck here with Kylo," Luke huffed. "With my luck you two would burn the place down by the end of the night."

Rey gave a small laugh and smiled shyly. "He's not  _that_  bad."

"No, I guess not, but I'd feel bad leaving you here alone."

Just as Rey was about to tell Luke not to worry, Leia appeared at the open doorway and knocked on the doorframe. "Hi sweetheart," she greeted, then spoke to Luke, "How's our patient today?"

"She's definitely sick. Fever, but I'm not sure how bad it is, and a sore throat, right?" he asked Rey, and she nodded.

"Well if you'd like I'm sure Kylo would rather keep you company than go to the benefit."

Luke glanced up at her incredulously, then scoffed "You're kidding."

"I told him he'd need to wear a suit if he came to the benefit," she winked. "Trust me, he's desperately looking for a reason to stay home."

"I'm not sure how I feel about leaving a 10 year old home alone with…well, anyone in their teens. This one," he gestured to Rey, "can be a  _bit_ of a handful."

"Luke, he'll be 20 in less than a year, and you're being silly - she'll be fine. Come on, let's go talk to Kylo." Leia held the door for Luke, who threw his hands up, ceding the argument to his sister. After he left the room Leia gave Rey the thumbs up, and Rey giggled, returning the gesture.

* * *

Leia was right, as usual. Luke returned to Rey's room after about 20 minutes and gave her the news that he'd be going to the dinner, and said (reluctantly) that Kylo would be staying home to make sure she didn't get into trouble.

"Apparently wearing a suit is so repulsive, he'd rather be an unpaid babysitter," Luke commented. "I made him promise to make sure you're in bed by 10 PM. I still think that's too late, especially when you're sick, but Leia intervened on your behalf."

Rey scrunched her forehead and frowned. "I do  _not_  need a babysitter. I'm  _ten_."

"Too bad, those are my conditions," he smiled, knowing she'd have to give in, "You're staying home so you don't infect all the nice people at the benefit dinner, Kylo will keep you company,  _and,_ my favorite part - I'm going to call every hour and one of you is going to answer the phone or I'm coming home early. I've already spoken to Kylo, but if he gives you a hard time, just call me and I'll handle it."

She rolled her eyes.

"Make whatever face you want," he laughed, "it's either that or you can have a  _boring_  night hanging out with me."

Her eyes narrowed as she gave him a deep frown, then sighed. "Okay, fine."

"Great!" Luke gave her a big grin, and she struggled to keep one off her own face. "Really though, if he's a jerk or you're feeling worse, or you need anything –  _anything_ , just call me, okay?"

"Thanks Luke. And...you aren't  _actually_ boring," she smiled softly. "Have a good night."

"You too kid," he replied, reaching over to ruffle her hair, "Don't let him boss you around."

* * *

Rey leapt out of bed the minute she heard the car drive off. She was still sick, but she was so tired of being confined to her bed all day. Wrapping up in the fluffy white comforter from her bed, she shuffled down the hall and staircase, made her way to the den on the first floor of the large house, and almost ran directly into a huge ball of fluff.

"Hey Chewie!" She knelt down to hug the softest dog she'd ever met.

"Chewie, there you are – Oh, hey," he stopped abruptly. Rey looked up to see Kylo standing in front of her, holding Chewie's leash. "I'm taking him for a walk."

It had been somewhat tense since they'd first met. Rey admitted to herself that she could have been friendlier, but he'd been rude first, so what other choice did she really have? She hadn't really had another run in with him because he'd been busy with exams, but she was ready to give him another chance. Unless he was rude again, of course. But really, how bad could the son of Leia and Han really be?

"Can I help?" she offered politely.

He looked confused, and bent down to hook Chewie's leash to his collar.

"You're sick."

"I have a cold, I'm not dying," she responded stubbornly.

Kylo huffed, then looked down at her, the edges of his lips curling up slightly into the closest thing to a smile she'd seen on him. "Go pick out a movie."

Rey considered the suggestion, then nodded, "Okay, can I pick anything? And you'll watch it with me?"

"Sure, whatever," he replied as he turned and led Chewie out toward the door.

Once his back was turned, Rey couldn't help but smile with malicious glee. Just because she was giving him another chance didn't mean she wouldn't test his patience.

* * *

"Rey, for the last time, I am not watching  _Barbie and the Nutcracker_ ," Kylo snapped impatiently.

"You did say I could pick anything."

Kylo groaned, running his fingers through long, dark locks. His anger softened when he saw her wide, hazel eyes. "Please, Rey?"

She sighed. Maybe her idea was a little too harsh. Glancing back at the screen, she shuffled through an overwhelming amount of options. Upon realizing he would not be doomed to suffer through an hour and a half of the pink hell she'd originally picked, Kylo visibly relaxed and settled into the plush couch next to her.

"How's this one?" she asked quietly, thinking for sure he'd say 'no'. She'd picked  _The Shining_  - a movie Luke refused to let her watch with Paige and Rose.

"Horror, huh?" his eyebrow was raised, seemingly amused by her second pick. "Kind of a big leap from Barbie."

She turned red, hoping he'd blame it on her fever if he noticed.

"Wait, did you pick that just to mess with me?" he questioned, sounding fairly surprised.

"Maybe..."

He snorted, clearly amused.

"So, your second pick. Let me guess, Luke won't let you watch horror?"

Rey bundled up under her blanket, then turned to answer him. "I wanted to see it with my friends, but he said it was too scary."

Kylo chuckled, "He's not wrong. This one is older, but there's a reason it's considered one of the best," he looked over and saw her disappointment, then sighed, "Okay, you promise you'll still be able to sleep tonight?"

Rey perked up, surprised he'd agreed. "Definitely!"

"Well, what Uncle Luke doesn't know won't hurt him, I guess."

She smiled widely, then asked, "Do you have popcorn?"

"I have a better idea," he replied, dialing a number on the phone, "how's pizza sound?"

* * *

An hour or so in, Rey started regretting her choice. Suddenly she wasn't entirely sure she was as brave as she'd always thought. The fluffy dog sleeping next to her offered some comfort, but the house was too quiet, and the snow outside was now frightening in a way she hadn't expected.

"You still doing okay, Rey?" His warm brown eyes flashed with concern.

She nodded, not wanting him to know she was scared, then reluctantly looked back to the screen, shrinking further down into the blanket she'd wrapped up in.

The scene they watched was very quiet, and Rey tensed, preparing herself for a jump scare. Out of nowhere, a piercing ringing echoed through the room, and she shrieked, burying her head in the blanket completely.

"Rey, hey, it's okay, that was just the phone," he said, gently lifting the blanket from her head. He paused the movie and answered, stopping the shrill ring.

"Hi, Uncle Luke…wha- no, of course not," Kylo responded dryly, "Do you really think I would have bothered picking up if it was? We're just watching a movie. Do you want to talk to Rey?"

He covered the phone's speaker for a minute, then whispered "Remember, we're watching Barbie."

She calmed and giggled, taking the phone, "Hi Luke!"

"Hey kid. Kylo said nothing's on fire but I want to hear it from you. How's it going?" she heard lots of voices and some music in the background. She glanced up at Kylo, who looked nervous – like he half-expected her to rat him out.

She smiled, then replied, "Really well. Kylo ordered pizza and we're watching a movie."

"That's great. You sure everything's okay? How are you feeling?"

"Still sick, but I'm having fun."

"That's…" Luke hesitated, surprised by her response, "that's great. I'm relieved. I'll call again in a while, okay? Can you hand the phone back to Kylo?"

"Sure!"

She handed back the phone and noticed Kylo looking relieved she hadn't spilled the beans. He listened to Luke for a minute before replying, "I remember…not a minute later, I know…" then added sarcastically while rolling his eyes, "Wait, what time did you say bedtime was again? 1 AM? 2? And remind me, what's your stance on house parties?"

After a few seconds he glanced down at the phone, "Huh. Guess he hung up."

Rey laughed, and miraculously, Kylo grinned back at her.

"So, Rey," he said cautiously, "I forgot how scary this movie is, and with all the snow and everything – maybe it'd be better if we tried watching this again during the day sometime…" he deep voice trailed off as he waited to see her reaction. He had a suspicion she was too stubborn to admit the movie was getting to her. "Plus, it's a really long movie."

Relief flooded through her. "That's a good idea. What should we watch instead?"

"I'm thinking '80s horror, but something not really scary. Maybe  _Gremlins_? I'm not sure it's exactly horror, but I think you'll like it. Some parts are even…silly, I guess."

"Huh," Rey mulled it over for a minute, "That sounds better. But before we start another movie, do you guys have any popsicles?"

* * *

Kylo's pick was much better than Rey had expected. She adored the cute little Gremlins (their pre-monster versions, at least), and they laughed together through a good portion of the movie. With about half an hour left, Kylo glanced over to see if she was still awake, and noticed that she was much more flushed than she'd been an hour or so earlier.

"Hey Rey, are you feeling okay? Same as earlier, or worse?"

She looked at him sleepily. "It's really hot in here."

"Uh, I think that's your fever," he looked over at the clock – it was 10:27 PM. "Uncle Luke might have been right about a 10 PM bedtime."

She glared as best she could.

"What if we finish the movie in the morning? I'm getting tired too."

Sighing, Rey nodded, "I guess that would be okay."

"Unfortunately," Kylo began, "I think it's time for more – "

The ringing phone cut him off.

"Shit!" Kylo blurted, "That's Uncle Luke. He's going to wonder why you aren't sleeping. Go get ready for bed, I'll answer it."

As she started to head to her room she heard Kylo answer the phone, "Uncle Luke, how's the benefit?...Oh, around the corner – okay…yeah, she's sleeping," he laughed nervously. Rey climbed the stairs and rushed to get into bed before everyone got home.

A minute or two after she climbed into bed, Kylo knocked on her open bedroom door.

"Hey, they'll be here any minute. When's the last time you had meds?" he asked.

Rey scowled. "Luke made me take some before they left."

Noticing her reaction, Kylo gave a half-smile, "Yeah, I know, this stuff is awful. But you should take more before bed."

She sighed, and reluctantly took the cup he offered.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"'Night, Rey," he murmured, before shutting off her light and walking down the hall.

"Goodnight."

She was already fast asleep when Luke checked in on her ten minutes later.

* * *

"So, you and Rey actually had a good time last night?" Rey stopped walking down the stairs when she heard Leia's voice from the kitchen.

"I think I'm more surprised than you are," she heard Luke reply. Leia's laugh echoed sweetly out of the kitchen.

"Well, I think it's great," Leia exclaimed. "Visits will be much easier if they get along. Oh, speaking of visits – Luke, Han and I were talking. I know you love the whole 'hands-on' education system you've got on Ahch-To, but is it really healthy for a girl Rey's age to only have two girls to socialize with?"

"Huh," Luke considered the point for a minute, "I'm not sure. What are you suggesting?"

"So the classes follow a regular academic schedule, right? They get summers off?"

Rey assumed Luke must have nodded, because she didn't hear his response.

"Why don't you have her come stay with us this summer? She can be part of the volunteer program I'm setting up, or maybe I could talk to one of my friends and see if they can use any young volunteers at the library, or animal shelter. Something to keep her busy, you know? She'd get to meet new people, make some new friends, – we'd love to have her."

"Wow, Leia. I mean," he paused, "I'd probably make her call every day. I'd be nervous, but I think she'd love it. I'll have to think about it."

Suddenly Rey realized she wasn't alone on the staircase, and turned around to find out who had caught her listening.

"Hey kid," Han smirked, "You know, eavesdropping doesn't always work out in your favor."

Rey turned red and looked up at him apologetically. "Sorry," she whispered shyly.

"Don't be," he clapped his hand around her shoulder, "Let's go get some breakfast."

Rey followed him down the stairs and, much to her delight, saw pancakes waiting on bar.

"Good morning," Leia greeted her, "are you feeling well enough for a few pancakes? Luke's putting blueberries in his, but we've got chocolate chips too."

"Chocolate chips for me," Kylo's deep voice sounded from behind the refrigerator door. He pulled out a large container of orange juice and poured a glass, then offered it to Rey, "and vitamin C for your cold."

He caught Leia's curious smile, and asked gruffly, "What?"

"Nothing," she answered her son with a smile, "You're being nice. It's new. I like it."

Kylo rolled his eyes, but didn't argue.

"So," Luke started, glancing at Rey, "Leia and I were talking about plans for this summer."

"Yeah, I think the kid overheard you," Han interrupted.

Rey blushed, and admitted it, "I'm sorry, I was on the stairs and I heard my name…"

Luke chuckled, "Well, what do you think of spending the summer here with Han, Leia, and Kylo? I'm not completely sold on it, but it might be a good experience, and I'm sure it would be fun. I might even come visit if they'll have me."

"Luke," his sister scolded, "don't be ridiculous, you know you're always welcome here."

He smiled at her, then looked expectantly back toward Rey.

"I'd love it!" She looked up at Leia, "Do you think I could work with animals?"

"Probably," Leia nodded, "I have a friend who runs an animal shelter - I'm sure she could use another set of hands."

Rey beamed, and asked Luke, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Luke hesitated and inhaled deeply before answering. "Yeah, I guess so. I think it'll be fine. Just during the summer though - you're still my kid," he added protectively. Leia smiled fondly at his obvious attachment to the girl.

"Okay then, it's settled," Han declared, "you'll spend the summer with us, kid. Maybe I'll even teach you a thing or two about cars."

Rey looked over at Kylo cautiously. He had yet to take part in the discussion, and even though they'd had fun the night before, she wasn't sure if he'd really want her at his house all summer.

"Hmm," he hummed, as if he was thinking it over, "I  _guess_  it'll be alright." Then he dropped the serious face he was making and gave her a bit of a grin. "We might have to work on your taste in movies though."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Snowballs - fluffy snow for a fluffy story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey finds the droid she’s been looking for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slightly shorter chapter, but hopefully it's a good one!

After what felt like a century of being cooped up inside, Rey was finally granted permission to head out into the Solo's yard. She'd spent days desperately yearning to build her first snowman – she'd never lived in a place that had snow. Tying her boots up (she'd finally remembered to put them on  _before_  her bulky mittens and jacket), she lumbered out the front door that Han held open for her.

Kylo was already outside, but Leia had decided to go grocery shopping while the weather was still halfway decent, and Luke had gone with her. Rey finally felt better - her fever had broken, her sore throat was gone, and no matter how much Luke claimed it was because she'd been taking the awful cherry syrup, she was convinced it was due in large part to all the popsicles she'd convinced them to give her.

"Rey, will these work for your snowman?" Kylo shouted to her from under the tree in the front yard. He was holding up two sticks that would be suitable for snowman arms.

"Perfect!" she yelled back, running over to him. When she got closer, she slowed down and paused. "Do you ever wear colors other than black?" Even his gloves and hat were black.

"I-…Well-…" he sputtered, "Mind your own business."

Rey snorted and laughed at him, then changed the subject, "I think I have everything else we need." She held up an old scarf and hat Han had found in the garage, along with a carrot she'd fished from a drawer in the fridge.

"Not quite," Kylo corrected, taking a look at the items she'd found. "We're missing eyes. And buttons. Does the snowman need buttons?"

"I forgot about his eyes! But, I don't think we need buttons. Do we?" she considered it for a minute. "Uhhh. No. No buttons."

"Hey," Han came up behind them, "Will these work for eyes? I know people usually use coal, but we don't have any. Also," he continued, "I noticed you didn't have anything for a mouth."

He held out two similarly-sized grey rocks and handed them to Rey, then held out a handful of pebbles, which Kylo took.

"Awesome!" Rey gushed, "This is gonna be so great!"

By the time Luke and Leia returned with a load of groceries, Kylo and Rey were getting ready to put the finishing touches on the snowman, which was considerably larger than she'd expected. Thanks to Kylo's help, the snowman towered over Rey, who (incorrectly) thought of herself as rather tall for her age.

"Okay, want me to put his hat on?" Kylo asked, knowing Rey couldn't reach. She'd barely been able to put the pebbles in place for the mouth.

Luke came around the car to see what they'd made. "Wow! Guys, it looks great!"

Rey smiled widely, and looked back at Kylo, "I'll put it on!"

He handed the old black hat over to her, and asked, "Can you reach it?"

"Oh," she looked up at the towering snowman, frowning. "Actually, I'm not sure I can."

Suddenly she felt hands around her waist, easily lifting her up to put the snowman's hat in place. She shrieked happily, surprised to be off the ground.

"There!" Kylo said, gently lowering her back onto the packed-down snow.

"Thank you," she giggled, smiling gleefully up at the snowman.

"Don't move," they heard Leia order, "I want a picture! I need proof – my son,  _smiling_?"

They both turned to see Leia leaning against the car, arms folded, fondly watching the scene in front of her. Luke looked equally amused, but Kylo rolled his eyes and turned back toward the snowman.

"Are you sure you're only willing to give her up during the summers?" Leia jokingly asked her brother, letting Rey and Kylo get back to making small adjustments to the snowman, "I can't believe they get along so well."

"I think it's just because she doesn't put up with his crap. For a ten year old she's surprisingly no-nonsense. And no," Luke added, "I'm not letting you keep her. You'll spoil her."

"That's true – did you hear she made Kylo watch a Barbie movie?"

Luke sniggered, "I wonder what he did to piss her off that much. She hates stuff like that."

Leia laughed, "Well anyway, I'm relieved. I thought he'd be moody all vacation. This is the most I've seen him in months. He's usually in classes, or with one of the few friends he has. When he is home he usually closes himself in his room and blasts music. It seems like every time I see him he's so…angry. And I never know why," she said, sounding exasperated. "These last few weeks have just been wonderful. I love him so much, but I'm dreading what things will be like when you leave. I wish I knew how to help him be this happy all the time."

"I'm sorry it's been hard on you," Luke replied. "I'll visit more with Rey, I promise. I think you're right about her. She needs more…family, I guess. She's lost so much."

"You wouldn't know it though," Leia commented, watching the girl run from Kylo, his fallen hat in her thieving hands. He chased after her, around the yard. Rey was laughing hard until he finally caught her, lifted her up, carried her over to a large pile of snow, and dropped her in. Leia could still hear the girl's laugh.

Luke chuckled, watching the interaction. "She's a strong kid."

"Yeah," Leia replied softly, "She is."

Kylo walked toward them, leaving Rey in the snowbank behind her.

"She can get out of there, right?" Luke asked, mildly concerned.

"Oh, yeah, she's fine," Kylo answered, grinning. "She's such a dork," he joked, "either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her."

 

* * *

 

"Is it straight?" Han asked, laying under the bushy evergreen.

"A little to the left?" Leia tilted her head, "No, no, too far, back to the right. Good, now, back a bit? You've got it leaning forward."

"Chewie!" Han yelled, "Would someone get this walking carpet out of my way? He's drinking the water from the tree stand!"

Laughter burst out of Rey as she watched the couple set the tree up.

"Ever had a tree before?" Luke came to stand behind her, and handed her a mug of hot cocoa.

"Grandpa had a little plastic one he put on the table. We never had one this big," Rey explained. The tree Han picked reached almost all the way to the room's tall ceiling. Even Kylo would need a step-stool to help decorate it.

"I found the decorations." Kylo dropped a large box behind Rey and Luke. "Why does it seem like we store these in a different place every year?"

"That's because your mother's the one who always puts them away."

"Watch it, you," she said, playfully kicking his leg, "Maybe this year I'll let you pack them up. I'm sure half the ornaments would end up broken."

Han laughed, and shook his head, "You're crazy, but I love you."

"I know," she winked.

 

* * *

 

Rey had been eager to decorate the tree as soon as it was up, and as she helped Kylo unpack all the ornaments, she noticed most were handmade.

"Who made all of these?"

"Uhh, mostly me, when I was a kid. Mom made some too, and Dad actually has some he got from his parents."

"Wow," she whispered, holding up a Christmas-tree shaped frame, about the size of her palm, that held a small baby picture.

"Yeah, that's one of mom's," Kylo said, taking a look at the item Rey was inspecting. "Her parents died before I was born, but she kept a lot of their things."

"You didn't get to meet them?" Rey asked, suddenly uninterested in the ornament.

"I never met any of my grandparents, actually. Mom's parents died, and Dad doesn't talk about his. I think they're dead too."

"I'm sorry," Rey responded quietly, unsure of what to say.

Kylo looked up from the box of decorations, "Don't be sorry, it's okay. It's hard to miss someone you never got to meet," he explained.

"Yeah," Rey agreed, "I understand. I miss Grandpa, but I'm not sure I miss my parents. I don't remember them, so I don't know what to miss." She looked down at the frame she held, and ran her finger over the picture. "I wish they'd left me things like this."

Kylo met her misting hazel eyes with a sad smile, "I'm sorry they didn't. But," he continued gently, "each of these ornaments is a happy memory. Maybe you can make some new ones."

 

* * *

 

"Luke! Wake up!"

Rey heard his groan through the door.

"Maybe we should have just waited for them downstairs…Dad was really unhappy when I woke them up," Kylo whispered anxiously.

"Nobody's unhappy to open presents," she answered wisely, "They just need cocoa."

"Actually, they'd probably prefer coffee..."

The door opened in front of them to reveal a half-awake Luke, his hair sticking up in multiple directions. Rey stifled a laugh.

"6 AM, you guys? Seriously? Kylo, I can't believe you'd encourage this," Luke grumbled, but shuffled past them anyway. "Please, at least tell me one of you started the coffee-maker."

"Nope!" Rey said proudly, "But there's cocoa!"

 

* * *

 

When the adults had finally had coffee – Rey noted that they all seemed to need at least one cup each before they stopped grumbling about the time – they all sat down to open presents. Han and Leia exchanged a few that were mostly a mix of jewelry and clothing, which Rey found completely boring.

Luke dug through the little pile under the tree, found a small present and handed it to her.

"For me?" she asked excitedly.

"What, did you think you wouldn't get any presents?" he laughed.

She tore through the bright green paper and found a small bound journal with her name stitched on the front. "It's beautiful," she breathed, "I love it."

"Your teacher said she was going to start working on creative writing with you and Rose this semester, so I thought you might want something to write in."

"Thanks Luke," she grinned, "I really love it." She paused, then nervously handed him a small box, wrapped in the striped paper Leia'd suggested.

Luke looked at her curiously, "You got me something?"

"Actually," Leia interrupted, "She  _made_  you something."

Rey explained, "It was my idea, and Leia helped me."

Luke raised his eyebrows, and carefully opened the box to find two frames, each protecting a drawing. On the first, Rey had painted a picture their home Ahch-To, perfectly capturing the lush greens of the island and the stones that made up their dwelling. The second was a drawing of '3PO and R2 sitting in front of the fireplace that was in their living room.

"Wow, Rey," Luke whispered, "these are incredible. I had no idea you could draw."

She blushed, and nodded, then leaned over to accept a hug from him.

"I know exactly where to hang these," he said, squeezing a bit too tightly before letting her go.

"Okay, mine next," Kylo said after a minute, finding a bag and handing it to Rey. "I know you got kind of sad about not having ornaments, so I thought I'd remedy the situation."

Rey's eyes lit up as she dug into the bag, pulling out a small snowman hanging from a red ribbon. "It's adorable! It's just like the one we made!"

He nodded, "Keep going, there's more."

Rey pulled out the next one, wrapped in thin paper, and as she uncovered it she burst out into hysterical laughter.

"What is it?" Luke asked, wondering what was so funny.

Rey struggled to speak as she laughed, and instead held up the hot-pink clad ballerina figurine, à la  _Nutcracker Barbie_. Kylo laughed with her while the adults mostly looked confused.

Once she calmed down, Rey pulled out the last ornament. It was glass – a small figurine of an orange dog hanging from a bright blue ribbon. She looked up at Kylo, confused.

"Oh, right," Leia remembered, glancing over at Han, "We were supposed to give her our gift first."

Rey was even more confused, and looked over at Luke, assuming he'd explain.

"Hold tight kid," Han ordered, ruffling her hair as he moved past her, walking out into the kitchen, "I'll be right back."

After about a minute Rey heard Chewie come up behind her. She looked down to find a dog that was definitely not Chewie.

"Oh!" Rey exclaimed, then said to the excited pup, "Hi!" Looking over at Kylo, she asked "Did you get another dog?"

Leia cleared her throat, "Uh, Rey, she's not our dog."

Rey still hadn't figured it out when Luke explained, "I know your Grandpa said you could have a pet of your own when you turned ten…."

"Wait, she's mine?" Rey interrupted in a tentative voice.

"Yes, sweetheart," Leia answered, "We convinced Luke to let us adopt her for you. I saw her at the dog shelter when I dropped food off last week and once I saw her name and how sweet she was, I knew you two had to have her."

Rey only half-heard what Leia was saying. She was too busy falling in love with the big, soft brown eyes of the golden dog that was sitting patiently next to her. "What's her name?" Rey whispered, not taking her eyes off the dog.

"That's the weird thing. I know your cats are named after characters from Luke's favorite books – this little one is too. Her name is BB-8. It's a strange name for a dog, but it was such a funny coincidence."

"Hi, BB-8…" Rey said gently, then knelt down and wrapped her arms around the dog that would quickly become her one of her best friends.

They finished unwrapping the rest of their presents rather quickly, and BB-8 stayed in Rey's lap the entire time, occasionally looking back to lick the girl's face, earning a giggle each time. She finally gave Kylo his present (somehow it had gotten buried under the others) and he laughed as he unwrapped the gremlin-shaped ornament.

"I guess great minds think alike, huh?" he chuckled.

 

* * *

 

About a week later, Rey slowly shuffled down the stairs. She couldn't believe their time with the Solos was already over. She'd be leaving with Luke and BB-8 for Ahch-To after breakfast, and she dreaded saying goodbye. The sooner she walked down the stairs, the sooner she'd have to leave. Realizing that, she turned around, and sat on the top step, desperately urging the clock on the wall to slow down.

"What's wrong?" Rey turned in the direction of Kylo's low voice, glancing up at him with tears in her eyes.

"I don't want to go," she mumbled, wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her sweater.

"I know," he sighed, and sat on the step next to her, "but think about it this way – the sooner you go, the sooner you can come back. You're coming back for the whole summer, remember?"

"That's five months away," she whined.

"I know, but once you get back it won't seem that long, I promise," he assured her, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here's our address. I expect letters. I want to hear all about Ahch-To and BB-8."

Took the paper and smiled, then asked shyly, "Will you write back?"

"Obviously," he playfully scoffed at her, "I'm going to be completely lost when you leave. Who's going to watch ridiculous horror movies with me when you leave?"

Rey laughed, forgetting her sadness for a minute. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, and pulled her in for a quick hug.

"Okay, I guess we should go downstairs," she said reluctantly ending the hug, "Thanks Kylo."

"Yeah, no problem," he answered, his voice thick with emotion, "We'll miss you, Rey."

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Rey thinks 11 is perfectly old enough for The Shining.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey thinks 11 is old enough for The Shining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter will be a bit different since it spans an entire summer. I've written it as a bunch of smaller scenes.
> 
> Just a quick note on the age difference. I know some people find it a little uncomfortable. I totally understand. The movie's Visual Dictionary puts Rey at 19 at the time of The Force Awakens, and as far as I can tell, canon puts Kylo/Ben's birth at 5ABY (around a year after the battle in Return of the Jedi), which would make him around 29-30 in The Force Awakens. That's an 11 year age difference, but for the purposes of this story I closed the gap a little bit to 9 years. If that's still uncomfortable, I totally get it - just know nothing M-rated will happen until Rey is firmly in her 20's.

Thankfully, Rey found that Kylo was right about time passing quickly once she returned to Ahch-To. Within a week of arriving back on the island she'd written him a short note explaining that BB-8 was adapting to her new home well, and Rey even included a picture she'd drawn of the small orange dog.

BB-8 was adapting as well as the letter had mentioned, but Rey left out the fact that '3PO and R2 were less than impressed with their new housemate. Rey hadn't caught so much as a glimpse of either of them since she'd returned home with her new friend. She was fairly distraught by this, but Luke reminded her that some cats just took a while to get used to change.

Before long, she found herself immersed in new classes that kept her busy. But as busy as her life became, she still found a bit of time to miss the family that had made a strong impression on her in such a short amount of time.

* * *

"Hey, did you finish the math homework yet?" Rey snapped out of her daydreaming and looked up from her desk to see Rose. "I'm having a little trouble. Do you mind showing me what you did?"

Rey nodded, smiling at the girl. "Yeah, I finished the math, but I'm having trouble my story."

"Trouble with your story?" Rose repeated, confused, "How's that possible? You live with Luke Skywalker. He's like, the best storyteller ever."

Rey shrugged, "Sure, but he doesn't do my homework."

Rose cast her a sympathetic glance, "Well, I'll help you with your story and you can help with my math. Is that okay?"

"Perfect," Rey answered, "Why don't you come over tonight? Luke likes it when you come over for dinner - he says you're the only person he's met who actually loves his cooking."

Rose giggled, "I don't see why you don't like it. Doesn't he make all your favorite foods?"

"Yeah, and I always like it when he does, but sometimes he tries new recipes that are...well, remember when he tried adding that blue milk into everything? And the porg burgers?"

Rose cringed, "That's right. How could I forget the burgers? Even I hated those."

Rey laughed at her friend's reaction, "Tonight should be a safe night for dinner, though. I think he said we'd be having mac & cheese."

"Awesome!"

* * *

"Hey, there you are," Luke greeted her, looking up from the pot he had on the stove, "Oh and you brought Rose!"

"Sorry Mr. Skywalker, we should have asked first," the girl said shyly.

"Rose," Luke scolded, "You can come over any time you want. There's no need to apologize. Rey, there's an envelope for you on the table."

"From Kylo?" Rey asked excitedly, bounding over to the envelope.

"I'm pretty sure, yeah," Luke answered, "You know, if I'd known getting you a penpal would get you to write more I would have done it a long time ago."

"Awwww," Rey let out softly, ignoring Luke, "There's a picture of Chewie! He's so cute!"

"Wow, that's a really hairy dog," Rose commented, inspecting the picture over Rey's shoulder.

Rey put the rest of the envelope contents aside to read later, and walked over to the fridge to find a space for the picture. Finding space on the fridge had become...challenging. Luke had taken to hanging what seemed like every single one of her sketches on it, and he always managed to stop her from ever throwing them out. His constant attention and doting was thoroughly annoying, and Rey loved every minute of it.

* * *

Months filled with homework, letters, drawings, and dinners passed by, and before she knew it, Rey was standing next to Luke, near the landing where she normally caught the ferry.

"Got everything you need, kid?" Luke asked, trying to keep a smile on his face.

"Uhh…" Rey checked her pocket for her ticket, then looked over her shoulder to her small piece of luggage, "No, I'm missing something."

"Oh, okay, what is it? I should still have time to run back to the house before you leave."

"A hug," the girl said softly, smiling though there were tears in her eyes.

"Oh," Luke whispered, "Right. How could I forget?" He bent down and circled his arms around her, and held her tight. "I'm going to miss you, you know."

"I'll miss you too."

"Be good for Han and Leia, alright? And don't let Kylo cause too much trouble. I'll take good care of BB-8 until you come home," Luke laughed, finally releasing her from the hug. He kissed her forehead and ruffled her hair, then wiped his eyes quickly. "Ok, Rey, you should probably get going. Don't want them to leave without you. Han and Leia will be waiting for you as soon as you get off. " His smile was soft, but it didn't reach his eyes.

"I'll call every day," she promised.

He sniffed, looking down at his feet. When he looked back up at her there were more tears in his eyes, but he still smiled. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

True to Luke's word, Han and Leia were waiting at the dock when her trip on the ferry finally ended. Leia quickly noticed that Rey's eyes were red, and she rushed over to give the girl a big, comforting hug.

"Hey sweetheart, are you sure you'll be ok to come with us?"

"Yeah," Rey smiled up at her, "I just don't like saying goodbye."

"Mmm, I understand," Leia replied softly. "Well, it's quite a drive home, but I was thinking we could stop and eat somewhere along the way. We can have whatever you want. I'm sorry Kylo didn't come with us - he's taking a summer class and he's got a test today, but he'll probably be home by the time we get there"

"Okay," Rey's smile grew wider. She desperately missed Luke, but being with Leia reminded her instantly - she was with family.

* * *

"I've got your room all set up, but if you need anything else just let me know. Please help yourself to anything in the fridge...oh, what am I forgetting," Leia asked herself. "Right. Normally one or both of us will always be home," she explained to Rey, gesturing between herself and Han, "But tomorrow's going to be a tricky day. I just found out about a big meeting my assistant forgot to tell me about, and Han already has plans to meet with an important client."

They'd just arrived at the house after eating an inordinate amount of Italian food, and Han helped her carry the single zipped bag she'd packed into the house.

"So," Leia continued, "If it's alright with you, Kylo said he didn't have plans, and we figured he could hang out with you."

"Yeah," Rey heard a hesitant voice from the entry, "I thought we could watch some movies?"

"Kylo!" the girl exclaimed, racing over to meet the familiar, messy-haired man. He bent down to wrap her in a hug.

"Hey, Rey, I'm sorry I wasn't there to pick you up."

"Don't be!" she reassured him, "You did miss some great Italian food though."

"Eh," he shrugged, then smiled, "I missed you more."

* * *

"I was thinking," Rey started as she sat down at the table, a large bowl of the sugariest cereal available in her hands. Han and Leia had left the house before she'd woken up, and now she was enjoying a late breakfast with Kylo. "I'm 11 now. I think I'm ready for  _The Shining._ "

He smirked, "Oh, really, do you now?"

"I do," she continued, oblivious to his teasing, "I'm more grown up now. I'll be fine."

"I see," he replied, then stifled a laugh and nodded back at her seriously, "I'm sure you're right, but I was hoping that you'd let me introduce you to a few different movies. I figured that since we watched horror last time, maybe this time we could pick a different genre?" he asked, hoping she'd taking him up on his offer.

"Hmm," she mulled it over, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well I'm not sure if you know this, but they made movies out of Luke's favorite books...do you want to find out how your cats got their names?"

* * *

A little over five hours into what ended up being a long movie marathon, Kylo stood up to put another disc in the player.

"Wait, there's  _more_?" she asked in shock.

"Currently there are nine…" he answered cautiously, unsure of whether she'd be excited or annoyed, "And a few more are in the works."

"Do you have them all?" Rey asked excitedly, noticing Kylo's relief.

"You like them?" he questioned, and saw Rey nod, "Oh, good. You haven't said much since we started watching, so I was worried you didn't like them."

"I LOVE them!" the girl exclaimed, "I think if I had a lightsaber, it'd be blue! And all the characters are so cool...except Darth Vader. He sucks."

Kylo snorted, "I don't know, I always thought he got a bad rap. He was good at the end, right?"

"I guess…" Rey agreed hesitantly, "So what's the next one about?"

"Actually, it's about Vader, sort of," Kylo explained, "The next three are about what he was like before he turned to the dark side."

"Oh," Rey commented, "I guess that sounds okay."

* * *

A week later the pet shelter nearby began accepting volunteers for the summer, and as promised, Leia had gotten Rey a position with them. The shelter was about the size of a large single-story house, with a screened in front porch that a dozen or so cats were sunning themselves on. Rey struggled to walk past them without giving out any hugs or petting unfortunately they were running late that morning, and Rey needed to meet her new supervisor.

"Leia! It's so great to see you," a tan-skinned man with deep brown hair greeted Leia warmly.

"Hi Poe," Leia mirrored his warm smile, "I'd like you to meet Rey. She lives with Luke, and she's staying with us this summer. Rey," Leia glanced over to the girl, "this is Poe Dameron. When he's not working for me, he volunteers here."

"Hi Rey," Poe reached out to shake her hand, "It's nice to meet you. You're going to be working with me whenever you volunteer here, so I'm sure we'll get to be good friends." He smiled widely at her, "I hear you know my friend Kylo? Are you the legendary Rey - the one who made him watch a  _Barbie_  movie?"

Rey giggled and nodded, keeping their secret.

"Wow, honestly, I was so impressed when Leia told me that. I wish I could have seen his reaction," the man laughed, "Well, anyway, want to meet the little ones you'll be helping take care of?"

"Yes!" Rey blurted loudly, blushing when she realized how loud she'd been. "Sorry, I really like animals."

"That's exactly what I was hoping to hear," Poe chuckled.

"Alright Rey," Leia said, turning to Rey, "I should get to work. Kylo's picking you up at 2 PM. Are you going to be okay here?"

She nodded enthusiastically, gave Leia a quick hug, then hurried after Poe. Spending three days a week for the whole summer taking care of animals? How could she  _not_  be happy?

* * *

About halfway through the summer, Leia came into the shelter during Rey's lunch to take her home early. She'd finished up a project a bit earlier than expected, and insisted on having a "Girl's Day" to celebrate.

"What's a 'Girl's Day', anyway?" Rey asked on the way to the car.

"Oh you know, ice cream, painting our nails, watching movies - things like that," Leia explained, "Just the two of us! I feel like I haven't had much time with you since you got here, so I figured it would be fun. I already picked up a pizza, and I thought we could bake brownies for ice cream sundaes."

At the mention of brownies, Rey's eyes grew wide and Leia knew she'd won the girl over.

"That sounds awesome!"

They were home within minutes, and Leia carried pizza, drinks, and napkins into the den while Rey picked a movie. "Ooh,  _Say Anything..._ , huh? That's...not what I expected," Leia glanced at Rey, raising an eyebrow.

"Kylo said it's a good movie."

"Huh," the woman huffed, "I had no idea my son watched rom-coms. Well, I'd love to watch it, but I'm not entirely sure it's appropriate. How about  _The Breakfast Club_ instead? I'm pretty sure you'll like it."

"Uh...okay," Rey agreed, accepting the slice of pizza Leia offered her.

After the movie ended, Rey found herself convinced that good taste in movies was hereditary. She helped Leia clean up the remains of the pizza, napkins, and plates, then walked with her to the kitchen.

"I forgot," Rey mentioned to Leia, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Oh?" the woman asked, pouring herself a glass of water. She sat across the table from Rey, and she placed a small box of nail polishes between brownies were baking in the oven.

"Yeah," Rey continued, then asked innocently, "What's sex?"

Leia choked on the drink she'd just taken a gulp of, and spent the next few seconds coughing, "Sorry, just…I wasn't expecting that question. Uh, where'd you hear about that?"

"My friend Rose mentioned it. She heard about it from her sister. I asked Luke what it was but he got all...weird. He said I should ask you."

"Oh, of course he did, how nice of my brother to leave that to me," Leia said quickly, under her breath. "Okay...well. You're eleven, I guess there are some health-related topics you should know. Do you want the short explanation or the long one? No, scratch that," she said, shaking her head, "if we're going to have this talk I should make it somewhat...comprehensive, I guess. We'll cover all the basics now, and I'll tell you more when you're a bit older. I'd rather tell you about it myself than have you learn about it from your friends."

About an hour of explanation and what seemed to Leia like a never ending supply of questions, Rey finally sat back in her chair and wrinkled her nose. "That sounds...awful. Why would anyone ever want to do that?"

"Do what?" Han asked, obliviously catching the very end of the conversation as he came in the front door, Kylo following behind him.

"Have sex," Rey answered plainly, "It sounds awkward. And gross."

Han's eyes grew wide as he laughed nervously, unsure of what he'd walked into, "Uhhh…Leia?"

"You know what, Rey," Leia interrupted, saving Han from his misery, "why don't we finish our conversation in your room? You can ask me all the questions you want."

Rey shrugged and nodded, then followed Leia upstairs, leaving Han and Kylo looking mildly shocked while they still stood at the kitchen door.

"Beer," Han stated suddenly, turning back to Kylo, "I'm going to have a beer. Want one, kid?"

Kylo huffed. "Have anything stronger?"

* * *

The summer flew by, and when Rey finally noticed how fast time was going, there was no way to slow it down. Her summer had been filled with...well, everything she'd ever hoped for in a family. Looking back, she realized it had been a considerable amount of time since she'd mourned her grandfather. Instead, she now just remembered him fondly, and took comfort in knowing that she loved and was loved by the same people he'd helped bring together.

These people were her family - Han and Leia felt like the Aunt and Uncle she'd never had, and Kylo, well, he didn't feel like a cousin for some reason. He felt closer - like a best friend. She dreaded saying goodbye to them. But now her bag was packed, and it was time to return to Ahch-To. She missed Luke so much it hurt, and while she'd count the days until she returned to visit the Solos, Rey was relieved to be headed home. A little over a year ago, she didn't know her heart could handle this much love, she realized - now it felt like her heart could burst at any minute.

"Okay, sweetheart, I think that's your ferry," Leia said quietly. Rey smiled at her beautiful, warm, brown eyes.

Han cleared his throat, "It was nice having you here, kid," he said, blinking more than usual. He cleared his throat again, gave the girl a quick hug, and explained "Uh, I've got to check on something in the car. We'll see you soon."

Leia smiled sadly as he turned and walked away quickly, "Sorry Rey, he's never been very good with his emotions. He's going to really miss you - we all will. But Luke agreed that we should make this a yearly visit." She pulled Rey in for a long hug, then waved goodbye and left to catch up with Han.

Rey looked up at the last person she had to say goodbye to, and it was then that she realized the most difficult goodbye had been saved for last.

Kylo looked down at her with a half-smile, "Goodbyes are awful. Why don't we say something else? See you later?"

Rey nodded in agreement. "That seems better." He swept her into a crushing bear hug, then put her down after realizing she could barely breathe from being hugged too hard.

"See you later, Rey," he smiled.

She returned the smile, and responded, "See you later, Kylo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Rey learns the importance of knocking.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rey learns the importance of knocking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slightly longer chapter this time! This is currently rated T - be warned that there are some parts in this chapter that involve swearing and what I consider pretty mild suggestive content.

"Rey?" Luke called, somewhat angrily, up the stairs. He'd just arrived home to find what appeared to be a mess of flour, milk, and eggshells all over the counter, and his frown deepened when he saw a spotting of food coloring across the floor.

"Luke?" the girl poked her head over the banister of the staircase, eyes wide in horror. "I'm going to clean it up, I swear!"

"Yes, you will," he nodded gravely, "But also, what did we say about using the oven while I'm out?"

She moved closer to the top step, and he saw her hands to go her hips, "Luke, I told you, I'm not going to burn down the house. I  _know_  stone doesn't burn."

"That may be, but I'm not okay with you cooking when I'm not here. You remember what happened last time?"

"Okay, fine, but the thing is, now I know cocoa powder can't be substituted for melted chocolate."

"Rey, that wasn't the problem! You had the oven temperature up to 500 degrees when the recipe specifically said 325."

"I…I thought it would cook faster," she admitted.

"Right, but what happened instead?"

She sighed, "Well, there was a lot of smoke…"

"Uh-huh," Luke nodded, "But I also seem to remember the glassware shattering inside the oven."

"Oh…right," she said, her eyes trained on the floor.

"Oh...right," Luke repeated, shaking his head.

"But," Rey added, a hopeful tone to her voice, "that was way back when I was 11. I've learned a lot since then."

"Rey," Luke warned, "No. The answer is no. You cannot use the oven when I'm not here."

"Okay," she sighed, "Fine. Can you help me then? I told Rose I'd make the cake for Paige's birthday."

"Sure, kid," Luke nodded, "As long as you promise to stick to the recipe this time. The last cake you made was…something else."

* * *

While impatiently waiting for the cake to cool so she could frost it, Rey busied herself by inspecting everything Luke had hung up on the fridge. She glanced over half a dozen little pictures she'd drawn, made another silly sentence from the word magnets Luke had gotten her, and then stopped when she reached the picture she'd been avoiding. Her heart sank a bit, seeing it. Their smiling, happy faces were warmly familiar, and yet, Rey felt so sad whenever she happened to glance at them.

Han and Leia had decided to spend their winter abroad. With the harsh winter hitting their home just outside of Coruscant, they'd chosen to visit a warmer spot for the season - Naboo, the place Leia's mother was from. Kylo had gone with them, and Rey understood. She supposed that, if possible, she'd also want to know whatever she could about grandparents she'd never gotten to meet.

And so, Rey and Luke had stayed on Ahch-To over the winter. The picture of two smiling, happy faces (and Kylo's annoyed smirk) with the cordial holiday greeting did nothing to make Rey feel better, or lessen how much she missed them. It just made her heart ache.

_Ding!_

The timer went off next to Rey, thrusting her out of the thoughts that were weighing on her mind.

"Luke, what color should we make the frosting?"

"Well," Luke came up to stand next to her, pulling the girl into a bit of a side hug. He'd debated putting the picture on the fridge, and every time he saw her staring at it sadly, he considered taking it down. But she wouldn't let him. Just seeing their photo was at least better than nothing at all, he supposed. "What's Paige's favorite color?"

"Blue? I think?" Rey answered, "Or…maybe green?"

"We could split the difference and mix them together," Luke suggested.

Rey considered the idea. "Yeah, that should work."

* * *

Rose and Paige lived in a house on the other side of Ahch-To, but the island was so small that it only took a short walk to get there. The Tico's house was a little smaller, and the two girls shared a bedroom about the size of the room Rey had to herself. Their parents were very rarely home as they both worked on the mainland, and 16 year-old Paige often took care of her younger sister. Rose loved her sister fiercely, and dreaded the day that college or career took her away.

"Rey, the cake looks beautiful!" Rose gasped, "The flowers are so pretty!"

"Luke did those, actually," Rey admitted, "I tried, but he was much better at it."

"Really?" the girl looked at Rey in disbelief, " _Luke_  decorates cakes?"

Rey laughed, and explained, "Remember how I really wanted to decorate my own birthday cake last year? He helped me find videos online and we practiced together. He was way better at it."

"He's so cool," Rose gushed, "You're so lucky."

Rey nodded, knowing the girl was absolutely right.

"How did the card come out?" Rey asked. Rose was in charge of making the card, and Rey the cake.

"Pretty well, I think," Rose answered modestly. Her cards were always beautiful, and somehow she knew how to make them with little designs that popped out. "Here, check it out."

Rose handed her a deep blue card with sparkles glued on the front in letters spelling out "Happy Birthday!" She opened the card to find that a little paper cake popped out, beautifully decorated with vibrant colors.

"Wow, Rose," Rey whispered, "it's gorgeous. She's going to love it."

"You haven't signed it yet!" Rose handed her a pen, and Rey signed it quickly before handing the card back.

"Okay," Rose said, glancing around at the decorations she'd hung earlier, "I think we're all set. Paige should be back with groceries soon," she paused. "Do you think we've got enough people to call this a surprise party?"

"Well," Rey hesitated, "I'm not sure, but Paige wouldn't like a big party. I think she'd rather just have it be the three of us."

"Yeah," Rose agreed, "Alright, let's find spots to hide!"

* * *

"Hey kid," Luke greeted her as she walked through the door. He was sitting at the table pretending to read through the draft of his most recent chapter. Rey knew better though – he was waiting up for her.

"Hi," she smiled sleepily. The mini-party had gone pretty late. Paige had insisted on a few rounds of Clue and a movie after they surprised her.

"So you decided not to stay over?" he asked curiously.

"No…I didn't feel like it."

He gave a half smile and raised an eyebrow. "Does that have anything to do with the fact that we're leaving tomorrow?"

"No…" Rey said quietly.

"Rey, you're a terrible liar."

She sighed, and moved to take a seat across the table from him. "I'm nervous."

"Why? I'm going to be there with you. You've been there before. What's there to be nervous about?"

"I don't know," she shrunk into the chair, "I haven't seen them in like, a year. I guess after we missed seeing them this winter I just felt like…like they forgot about me."

Luke nodded, understanding, "I noticed Kylo stopped sending letters a little while ago. Want to talk about it?"

"No," she answered sadly, "I think he's just been busy."

"Yeah," Luke nodded, assuring her, "I'm sure that's it."

Rey smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I still need to pack."

Luke laughed, "You should probably get on that. Our ferry leaves tomorrow morning at 8 AM. I'll make sure you're up."

"Thanks Luke, for everything," she gave him a hug, "They loved the cake."

When Rey got up to her room she found the luggage shoved under her bed, yanked it open, and shoved her things inside. She was exhausted, and spent all of ten minutes packing before clearing off her bed and falling fast asleep.

* * *

"You're here early!" Leia exclaimed, pleasantly surprised, "Oh, Rey, it's so good to see you sweetheart! You've gotten taller," Leia noticed, holding out her at arm's length, before bringing her in for a hug.

"Hi Leia," Rey greeted shyly.

"I'm sorry Han's not here," she apologized while hugging Luke, "he's working – I'm sure he would have been here if he had known you were coming today. We thought you were coming tomorrow!"

"Really?" Luke asked, "I'm sorry, I thought I told you we were arriving today…is it okay that we're here now?"

"Are you kidding?" Leia smiled, "Of course it's okay."

Luke and Rey carried their bags and followed Leia into the familiar home. "So, Rey, Kylo's here if you'd like to say hi."

"Sure," Rey responded, hesitantly.

"He's out in the guest house. Unfortunately after freshman year, students aren't guaranteed housing – certainly not summer housing, and we offered him the guest house. I figured, if he could live in the guest house, have access to free laundry and the occasional home-cooked meal, all for much less than he'd pay for rent closer to campus, why not? It's not like anyone ever uses the guest house anyway."

"Oh, okay, I'll go say hi."

Rey still felt sort of nervous about seeing Kylo. It had been a months since she'd received a letter from him, and she thought maybe she'd done something wrong. She racked her brain trying to remember what her last letter said, but couldn't remember anything she might have said that would have offended him. One way or another, she supposed she was about to find out.

She approached the door to the guest house – she'd never been inside before, but it was near the large pool Leia and Han had behind their house. By the time she arrived at the door, she was determined to act as though nothing was wrong. Maybe Luke was right. Maybe he'd just been busy.

She took a deep breath and bounded through the door, ready to give her friend a big smile, a big hug, and a big hello. Instead, she immediately regretted stepping through the door.

Inside, the guest house was decorated with Leia's modern tastes. Crisp whites, clean lines, warm woods, and bold, bright blue tones filled the lovely, open concept kitchen, dining area, and living room. The living room featured a large white cushy couch with yellow and blue throw pillows. Unfortunately, at the moment, Rey's attention wasn't on the couch or its pillows – rather, her attention focused on the couple on top of the couch. The couple too consumed with each other to notice her presence.

Rey froze. She knew she should leave, but she found her feet firmly planted, ignoring her pleas to move. She was terrified that they'd notice her, and she was desperately wished she'd just knocked.

The lean blonde woman was on his lap, and kissed down his neck, then whispered in a low voice, "Maybe we should take this elsewhere?"

Rey, who had only been standing by the door for about five seconds, turned quickly toward the door, her feet finally following her orders. She clearly needed to leave – the sooner, the better. Obviously she'd walked into something… _private_. As she turned quickly her balance faltered, and to her horror, she knocked into the lovely dark cherry bookshelf that stood to the side of the entry.

"What the – fuck! Rey?" She heard Kylo's somewhat husky voice from the couch.

Glancing up sheepishly from where she'd fallen to the floor, she turned bright red. Within a second or so he'd pushed the woman off his lap to sit next to him on the couch.

"Uh…I was just leaving," Rey said quickly, then stood up and practically ran back to the house. She was a bit out of breath by the time she rejoined Leia and Luke in the kitchen.

"Rey, is everything okay?" Leia asked, tilting her head, trying to figure out why Rey needed to catch her breath, "Did you find Kylo?"

"Yeah…" Rey hesitated, not sure how to explain last minute or two. She wanted to disappear into the floor when she heard the door open behind her.

Kylo cleared his throat, "I thought you guys were getting here tomorrow?"

"So did I," Leia answered, "but it's a great surprise!"

"It was definitely a surprise…" Kylo responded, under his breath, then louder: "Well, it's great to see you."

"You know," Leia glanced at Luke, "we were thinking it would be fun to have a pool day and barbeque tomorrow to celebrate you being both being here."

"Oh! I think I forgot to pack my bathing suit," Rey said sadly.

"I'm sure that's not a problem Rey," Leia smiled, then suddenly frowned, glancing out the window, "Who's the woman trying to sneak out of the guest house?"

"Kylo's girlfriend," Rey said quietly. She glanced up and saw that he'd turned a deep shade of red.

"Oh, and did you plan on introducing us to her? Or even telling us she exists?" Leia asked Kylo, her eyebrow raised.

"Not really."

"Oh, well then, maybe you and this girlfriend of yours can take Rey to get a bathing suit."

* * *

Much to Rey's relief, the woman did  _not_ accompany them to the mall. Being around Kylo was already uncomfortable enough, and Rey certainly didn't want to be around both of them together. It was…awkward. She felt horribly embarrassed for walking in on them, and yet, at the same time, she was annoyed with Kylo. First, he stopped sending and responding to her letters, and now after what had happened, he seemed to be ignoring her.

The drive to the mall was deadly quiet, and Rey sank deeply into her seat. Kylo pulled the car into a large parking garage, found a spot, and turned off the car.

"Rey?" he asked quietly, "I feel terrible about earlier. I'm sure you're probably uncomfortable. I should have locked the door or something."

"I should have knocked," she mumbled.

"Yeah, probably. So…" he sighed, "should we just pretend it never happened?"

She looked over at him, relieved. "You're not mad?"

"What? No, of course not. I mean, you should have knocked, but it was an honest mistake. I can't be mad at you for that."

She nodded. "Yeah, okay, it never happened."

He sighed, relieved, "Good. So, I had an idea for today. I'd like to avoid my mother and her questions, so I thought we could hang out here for a while. We'll get you a bathing suit, have some lunch, maybe see a movie?"

"Sure!" Rey replied, smiling, "That sounds fun."

"Perfect."

"So…" Rey asked after a minute, "What's your girlfriend's name?"

"And that," Kylo groaned, "is the one thing we definitely aren't talking about today."

* * *

After about an hour and a half spent between three different stores, and a lot of grumbling from Kylo, she finally found a simple dark blue tankini.

"I can't believe how long it took to find something so…plain," Kylo complained.

"Sorry," Rey shrugged, "I just didn't want anything hot pink, sparkly, or fancy. Simple is good."

"Alright, alright, I get it. Let's go pay. I'm starving."

They had just enough time to eat before the movie started, and Rey insisted they needed popcorn to properly enjoy the movie. With extra butter,  _obviously_.

"Okay," Kylo started, "You wait in the concessions line – it always takes longer. I'm going to get our tickets and I'll be right over."

"Sure," Rey nodded, walking over to get in the back of the line. She inspected the different candy options, suddenly unsure of whether she wanted popcorn or something sweeter.

"Yeah, so, we're making out and all of the sudden we hear this noise," Rey glanced over to see Kylo's girlfriend – whose name she still didn't know – in line with a pale, red-haired man who was listening to her intently, "Kylo freaked out and got all weird. It turns out, his uncle's  _charity case_  had come to say hi and thought it was okay to just barge in without knocking."

"Ugh," the man responded, "that sucks. Did he at least make her leave?"

"That's the worst part. He asked  _me_  to leave and followed her back to the house. It was  _ridiculous_."

Rey felt tears welling in her eyes. She'd felt terrible about earlier, but the woman's reaction to it didn't bother her nearly as much as the words that kept echoing in her mind.  _Charity case_.

She left the line quickly, making her way toward the exit. Rey wasn't sure where she was headed or what she'd do when she got there. She just knew she didn't want to be where she was.

* * *

Kylo picked up their tickets – he had decided to surprise Rey with a showing of the latest installment of the movies they'd watched the pervious summer. Walking toward the concessions line, he searched for Rey and froze. He didn't see Rey, but unfortunately, he saw Phasma.

"Kylo?" Phasma noticed him from the line and walked out of it to talk to him, "I thought you said you were working this afternoon."

"Uh…"

"Wait, was that a lie?" Her eyes flashed with anger, "What the hell, Kylo!"

"I'm sorry, I just haven't seen Rey in almost a year and after what happened earlier I thought it would be better if we…"

"Earlier? You mean when that brat interrupted us because she apparently doesn't understand the importance of privacy?" Phasma hissed.

"Hey!" Kylo snapped, "She's not a brat. Don't call her that. She made a mistake and she apologized."

"You know what, Kylo?" the woman scoffed, "Why don't you give me a call when you get your priorities in order."

Kylo had tuned her out, realizing he had no idea where Rey was.

"Are you even listening to me?" Phasma glared at him.

"Did you see where Rey went?"

"Why would I care where she went?"

"What – because she's 12 and she shouldn't be wondering around the mall alone?" Kylo replied, surprised it needed an explanation.

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Phasma rolled her eyes.

Kylo replied, his voice laced with disgust. "Fuck off, Phasma."

* * *

When Kylo finally found Rey, she was sitting on the edge of a wishing fountain, clearly trying not to cry.

"Oh, man, please never to that to me again," he sighed, finally calming himself down, "Rey, I had no idea where you went. I thought you have been kidnapped, or run away, or gotten lost or…" he sighed again, "I was so worried."

"Sorry," she replied softly, her voice barely a whisper.

"What's wrong?" he glanced over, noticing the tears falling from the girl's eyes.

"Am I a charity case?"

Kylo reeled back, surprised her question. "Rey, no, why would you ever think that?"

"That's what she called me."

"Who, Phasma? She said that to you?" Kylo asked angrily.

"Not to me. She said it to that guy she was with," she answered sadly.

"Hux? The guy with red hair?" he questioned.

Rey looked up at him and nodded. Her eyes shining with tears.

Kylo sighed, and sat next to her quietly for a minute.

"Rey, did Luke ever tell you my name? My real name?"

Rey nodded, then whispered, "Ben."

"Yeah," he smiled, "but did he ever tell you why my mom picked that name?"

The girl shook her head gently.

"My mother's adoptive parents died in a house fire before I was born, while she was away at college. I don't know if Luke told you, but their biological parents also died, and the aunt and uncle who raised Luke were actually killed during a breaking and entering. It's…tragic," Kylo said softly. "They were both alone in the world until Luke mentioned to your grandfather than he had a sister out there somewhere. Your grandfather helped him find her. After they'd lost so much, Uncle Luke and my mother were so thankful to finally have family, and your grandfather became the closest thing to a father they had left. Of course you aren't a charity case, Rey. If anything, Uncle Luke is probably just thankful he has an opportunity to repay Ben by raising you. He's probably thrilled to have a part of your grandfather still in his life."

Rey paused for a minute, taking in everything he'd said before smiling.

"Thanks Kylo."

He returned her smile, and said softly, "Why don't you call me Ben?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Mistakes are made.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which mistakes are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this chapter is kind of a bummer. I'm not going to lie, things might be a bit unhappy for a couple of chapters. I promise, it'll get better, and at the rate I've been posting it likely won't take long at all to get back to the happy parts. Be warned, there's swearing in this chapter, along with some pretty irresponsible choices.
> 
>  

 

A few days after seeing Luke and Rey off to Ahch-To for the beginning of the school year, Leia sat in her kitchen, contemplating the time she'd spent with her brother and the girl she'd come to love. Sipping her coffee, she glanced toward the open laundry room door and smiled. Kylo stood in her view, staring at a bottle of detergent, likely trying to figure out how much was needed for the oversized load he was attempting to wash.

"Kylo?" the woman asked gently, "can I ask you a question?"

He looked up from the large orange bottle of detergent he'd been studying. "What is it?"

She pursed her lips for a moment as if trying to determine how best to ask. "When you were saying goodbye to Rey, did I hear her call you Ben?"

He blanched. It had been years since his mother had called him by the name she'd chosen for him. "Yeah," he said reluctantly, "she did."

Leia looked at him curiously and he sighed, then walked to the table and took the seat across from her.

"When I took Rey to the mall to get a bathing suit she overheard Phasma-"

"Phasma? Your girlfriend?" Leia interrupted.

"She's not my girlfriend," he replied defensively. "She overheard Phasma and Hux talking. She heard them call her a charity case…"

"I knew I never liked that weasel," Leia hissed, "Hux is a jerk, Kylo, and he has been since you were in grade school. If he's Phasma's idea of a friend then I can tell you right now - you can do better."

"I know, I know," Kylo assured her, "but anyway, Rey was really upset and I told her why you named me Ben. I thought that if she knew how much her grandfather helped you and Luke, she'd see that she's important to Luke, and to us."

Leia nodded, "And you let her call you Ben."

He looked up at his mother, "I don't know...you and dad and Luke...you always talked about him like he was some sort of hero. I didn't know how to live up to that. I still don't," he muttered, "But Rey's a kid, and she doesn't expect me to be perfect, or a hero, or anything I'm not. I don't feel like a failure when she calls me Ben."

Leia's eyes were wide, surprised he'd told her this much. "You feel like a failure? Because you think you don't measure up to Ben Kenobi?"

Kylo shrugged.

"I've never thought you were a failure," she said softly, "and to me, you'll always be Ben."

 

* * *

 

As per his usual routine, Kylo stopped by the University's cafe before class. He was running a few minutes late, but thankfully the line moved relatively quickly, and before long he was walking toward his lecture, coffee in hand.

"Hey! Kylo!"

He turned toward the aggressive voice to find exactly the person he'd been trying to avoid.

"Phasma. You're in this class?" he asked coldly.

She crossed her arms and frowned. "Don't pretend like you didn't ignore me all summer."

"Don't pretend like you didn't deserve it," he snapped back.

"Please," her eyes rolled, "did my little comment really upset the girl that much?"

"That's not the point Phasma," he shook his head, frustrated, "and you know it. I'm switching sections," he muttered, walking away from the woman, "I don't even want to be around you."

Phasma watched him start to walk away, then called back sweetly, "Did your little friend ever wonder why you stopped writing her letters?"

Kylo stopped and turned on a dime. "What?"

"I noticed that you wrote her letters," she smirked, "so lame."

"What do you mean, 'stopped writing her letters'?" Kylo's glare became more threatening by the second, and Phasma finally relented, removing a few envelopes from her bag and waving them at him. "You  _stole_  my letters? Phasma, how could you do that?" he asked angrily.

"Oh gosh Kylo, I don't know, maybe I was annoyed that you spent half your free time writing letters to a little brat."

Kylo's blood ran cold. "Phasma. We're done here. I don't want to see you again. Whatever we had - whatever we were doing, it's over."

 

* * *

 

"You knew what you were getting into," Hux laughed, "I warned you not to hook up with Phasma. I mean, sure, I consider her a friend but let's be honest. Once she gets her talons into something she doesn't like to give it up."

Kylo landed hard on the couch next to him, handing his friend another beer.

"Whatever. You were right. I never should have done that."

Hux lifted his beer up as if to toast, "To the mistakes we make for a pretty face." Kylo huffed and reluctantly clinked his bottle against the one his friend held up.

 

* * *

 

"Hux," Kylo whispered, considerably louder than he realized, "this is a bad idea."

"Shhhhhh!" the red head shushed him, and let out an uncharacteristic giggle. "It'll be fine. They won't even notice."

"Hux!" Kylo laughed, "You're so drunk."

"I'm not the one who stole their dad's Corellian whiskey." Hux stopped in front of the Solo's massive garage, which was also used as Han's workshop.

"I did  _not_." Kylo considered it for a minute, "Okay, well, maybe I did, but that's not the point…"

Hux found the door on the side of the building, "Fuck, Kylo, it's locked."

"Dad keeps one of those hide-a-key things. It's under a rock somewhere."

"A rock?" Hux whispered, "there are a fucking lot of rocks here."

"Start looking!" Kylo bent down and started flipping over the rocks in his immediate area, before losing balance and falling head-first into the bush Leia had planted near the door.

Hux laughed hysterically, "Right, yeah, I'm the drunk one. Here, I've got the door."

"You found it?" Kylo moaned from the bush.

"Not exactly," he responded, just before Kylo heard a quiet shattering of glass.

He finally climbed out of the bush and brushed himself off. The world was spinning considerably faster than it should have been.

"Okay, which one do we want to test first?"

Kylo followed Hux into the garage and walked past Han's work-bench, toward the cars his father had been restoring.

Hux stopped to stare at the gorgeous, jet black  _Ebon Hawk_  - the car Han had just finished up a day prior. "It's stunning," Hux gasped dramatically, "Kylo, this is the one."

He nodded in agreement and found the keys from a rack next to the door.

 

* * *

 

The first thing he could hear was a faint beeping. As he started waking up, the beeping became more insistent, and it started hurting his head, which was already pounding. His eyes fluttered open, and the bright white light of the hospital room nearly blinded him.

"Kylo? Are you awake?" His mother's voice was gentle and somehow still grating. His head wouldn't stop pounding.

Finally, he opened his eyes fully and found that he was in a hospital bed. Leia sat next to him, dark blue circles under her eyes. She sat up when she saw that he was awake and breathed a sigh of relief. Kylo slowly looked up and saw his father standing, arms folded across his chest, at the foot of the bed. The look on his face was rather severe.

"Do you remember what happened?" Han demanded, his voice thick with anger.

Kylo squeezed his eyes shut - the room was still spinning a bit, and he started feeling pain settle in to every part of his body. "Hux and I were drinking."

"No shit you were drinking," Han yelled, "but that's not what I'm pissed about."

"Han!" Leia snapped at him, "You aren't helping."

"Neither are you," he answered back, harshly. "Don't act like everything's fine. He could have died, Leia."

"Can one of you just tell me why I'm in the hospital?"

"Well," Leia began quietly, "You and Hux were in a car accident. You're both okay, mostly. A few broken bones and a lot of bruising. Nobody else was involved. You hit a tree."

"You hit a tree going twice the speed limit," Han hissed, "You could have died!" he repeated.

Kylo groaned, and went to put his hands to his head. It was then that he noticed the handcuffs. He froze, and Leia noticed his reaction.

"The police are involved," she explained, "obviously you know it's illegal to drive while drunk…"

"Yeah," Han shook his head and corrected Leia, "But that's not what he should be worried about."

Suddenly the reality of his situation hit Kylo like a load of bricks.

"We took the Hawk." He stared up at Han, begging his father to say he was wrong.

"Yeah. You did. You totaled it, too," Han paused, and took a deep breath, "and my client's pressing charges."

 

* * *

 

Rey woke up to the smell of her favorite breakfast - chocolate chip pancakes. Bustling down the stairs, she greeted Luke with a smile and took a plate of the delicious breakfast food. Luke took a few as well, and joined her at the table, but he didn't return her smile. They sat quietly through breakfast until Rey finally broke the silence that was confusing her.

"Is everything okay?"

"Uh, actually," Luke sighed deeply, "No, kid, it isn't. We need to talk."

Rey put her fork down, suddenly too nervous to eat.

"There's something you need to know. I should have told you when it happened, but we didn't know what the sentencing would be, so I thought it would be best to wait rather than cause you a lot of extra stress."

A frown appeared on her face, and it deepened almost immediately. "Sentencing?"

"Kylo was in a car accident with one of his friends," Luke began cautiously. "They were drinking and they hit a tree. They were both okay - no bad injuries." He paused, noticing that her expression was a mix of shock and confusion. "The car they crashed belonged to someone else, and that person pressed charges." He took a deep breath and continued, "Kylo has to serve some time in jail."

"Jail?" Rey whispered, "For how long?"

"A little over a year," Luke answered quietly.

"A YEAR?" Rey shrieked.

"It was a very expensive car," Luke answered sympathetically, "and they'd been drinking. Rey, I know it sounds like a long time, but it actually could have been much worse."

"But," Rey stammered, "will he be okay?"

"He'll be fine," Luke nodded, then added, "honestly it might even be a learning experience for him. But I wanted to let you know as soon as I heard what the sentencing agreement was, because…" he prepared himself for another loud outburst, "Han and Leia's isn't an option for this summer."

He glanced up at Rey, surprised she hadn't yelled, and noticed that she was starting to cry.

"Oh, Rey, it'll be okay," he got up to give her a hug. "We'll still have fun, I promise. It's not because they don't want to see you - they're going to really miss you. It's just...Han and Leia need a bit of space from each other right now, and I'm not really sure what's going to happen with them. With Kylo gone over the summer, I think it would just make more sense for us to spend the summer together."

"Are we at least going to see them this winter?" The holidays were only a month or so away, and Rey had a to-do list of winter activities planned for their trip.

Luke hesitated, "No, we're staying here. I think Leia and Han are both planning on taking work trips, and I think they'll be traveling for a while. Kylo might be out in time for next winter, but...I'm not sure."

 

* * *

 

Rey stayed in her room most of the weekend, and while Luke wasn't sure what she was doing, he knew well enough to give her space. He listened as their small yellow teapot started to whistle from the stove, and he had just started to pour hot water into his mug as the phone rang.

"Luke?" he heard his twin's voice, and instantly he knew she'd been crying.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked gently.

"Yeah," she sniffled, "I'm fine. I just...it's Han."

Luke relaxed a bit, thankful she was alright, even if something was upsetting her. He brought his tea over to the living room and sat down.

"What is it Leia? What's going on?"

She took a deep breath, "He left. I thought he was going to apologize, but he's so damn stubborn," she explained, "and he just left for his trip two days early."

"Apologize?" Luke asked.

"I just...I'm so mad at him Luke. How could I not be? I know Kylo made a terrible mistake, but Han could have done more - he could have talked to his client, asked him not to press charges. We could have paid for the car, anything. But now, my son's going to spend a year in jail. All because Han's teaching him a lesson."

"Oh," Luke sighed, "I see. Leia…" he hesitated, "I think, maybe Han's just trying to be a good parent, the only way he knows how."

Leia sobbed, and his heart sank. "I know," she whispered, "I know why he's doing it. I just wish it didn't have to cost us a year with our son. I can't help but resent Han for that. I wish I didn't."

"I know," Luke replied quietly, "I'm sorry Leia. I think maybe, maybe you both just need some time apart to figure this out for yourselves."

"Yeah," she sighed, "I think that's probably true. Oh," she said, suddenly in her normal, happy-ish voice, clearly trying to hide that she was upset. "Kylo's here. He wanted to talk to Rey. Do you mind?"

"Of course not, but Leia, I haven't seen her leave her room all weekend," he explained, climbing the stairs to Rey's bedroom. He knocked, and she opened the door slowly.

"Kylo's on the phone," he whispered from the hallway, holding the phone out to her.

Rey recoiled from the phone as if it were a hissing snake, her eyes wide, tears instantly falling from her eyes. Within seconds, her face hardened and she took a step back into her room.

Then, without a second of hesitation, she slammed the door, leaving Luke and the phone in the hallway.

 

* * *

 

Rey's spring semester flew by. She continued to study writing, much to Luke's delight, but she excelled in her science and math classes. The cute colored pencil drawings on their fridge slowly gave way to refined pencil sketches, playful nights of board games turned into evenings spent studying, and weekends with Rose became weekends Rey spent in her room, isolating herself from the things that had once made her smile.

And eventually, with absolutely zero pomp and circumstance, twelve gave way to thirteen.

"Rey?" Luke asked hesitantly over dinner one evening, "Can we talk?"

She nodded, not making eye contact.

"I'm worried about you," he said quietly, and he watched her eyes roll.

"I'm fine."

Luke sighed, "No, Rey, I don't think you are." He paused before asking, "You haven't written Kylo any letters. It's been almost six months. Don't you think that's enough?"

"No," she said firmly, "It will never be enough. In a year, it won't have been enough."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I'm pissed!" Rey jumped out of her chair and walked away from Luke, heading towards the stairs.

"Rey, get back here, I'm not done talking to you."

"Well I'm done talking to you!" she yelled back to him. A few seconds later he heard her bedroom door slam.

Luke shook his head, then rested it in his hands, planting his elbows on the table in front of him. She'd been so angry for months, and he just couldn't let it go on any longer. He ran up the steps and burst into her room.

"We are  _not_  done talking."

Rey looked at him with wide eyes from her bed. He realized she'd been crying, and he calmed quickly, then walked toward her and sat on the bed next to her.

"Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

"He's so stupid," she whined, "I hate him."

Finally, it clicked, and Luke felt like an idiot. "You're mad at Kylo? Because...he got in trouble?"

"No," she whispered, shaking her head sadly, "because I miss him. I miss all of them. And it's his fault."

"Oh," he replied quietly, "that makes sense. But, Rey, he made a mistake. I'm sure he feels really bad about it. I know he regrets it. I think…" Luke paused. "I think maybe you're mad at the situation - the fact that it happened...I don't think you're mad at Kylo. I know you don't hate him. If you hated him you wouldn't miss him."

"Maybe," Rey nodded slowly, and sighed. "I guess that...sounds right."

"Maybe you should write, and tell him that."

"No," she said quietly.

"Why not?" Luke asked, confused.

"Because," she explained calmly, wiping her eyes, "he hasn't written any either."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Things get slightly better.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a flat tire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This should be a slightly happier chapter. I'm trying to keep the overall story fairly light and fluffy. I got some pretty good comments about the year-long sentence, and I realized I could have been a bit more clear. Obviously the drunk driving was an issue, but the jail time would have had more to do with property damage/theft since a really expensive car owned by someone else was totaled. In the state I'm from, a similar situation could be claimed as a felony depending on the cost of the car, if there's proof that the car had been stolen (which it basically was). I hope that makes a bit more sense! Your feedback has been wonderful :)

Not long after her conversation with Luke, Rey found herself slowly taking part in more of her regular activities. Specifically, she spent more time with Rose, the girl who had proven what a good friend she was by understanding completely when Rey had chosen to close herself off for months.

"What color should I use?" Rey looked up from her spot on the floor to see Rose holding up three shades of card stock.

"Red, I think."

"Hmm…" Rose concentrated on the three pages for a moment, "I think you're right."

"Are you going to make anything pop out of this one?" Rey asked, always curious to see what her creative friend came up with.

"I don't think so," Rose replied, "I was thinking of a heart, but that's too Valentine's. Plus, dad doesn't really care about fancy stuff."

Rey nodded in agreement.

"What color are you using?" the girl asked her offhandedly.

Rey looked up at her, confused, "What do you mean?"

"For Luke's card, what color do you want?" Rose asked, and then noticed that Rey seemed even more confused, "Don't you celebrate Father's Day with him?"

Rey shrugged, "No, I haven't so far…"

"Oh," the girl said quietly, "I just figured you did. Isn't he basically your dad?"

Rey thought about it for a minute before replying sadly, "I'm not really sure. I've never really had a dad."

"Well," Rose started, sitting on the floor next to Rey, "I think a dad is the person who makes you feel safe when you have nightmares – the person you know you can be honest with, because you know they'll love you no matter what, and I don't know…the person who teaches you how to be...who you are. And in my experience," Rose giggled, "they're pretty protective."

Rey smiled softly, "That sounds like Luke."

"So…" Rose asked quietly, smiling, "What color do you want?"

* * *

Luke listened to the phone ring a few times before he heard a familiar voice answer.

"Hi Luke," Leia greeted, sounding tired and stressed.

"Hey, I just wanted to check in and see how you're doing," he said gently. Leia and Han were still having a rough time dealing with the aftermath of the accident, and Luke knew his sister was taking things especially hard.

"Better, I guess. Han's been traveling a lot. Car shows, distant clients, things like that."

"Right," Luke replied softly, "that must be tough."

"It's all an excuse," Leia sighed, "He just doesn't want to be here. I'm working on forgiving him, but with Kylo gone…it's just too hard. At least right now."

"I understand, Leia," Luke nodded, "You're both dealing with a hard situation. Next time he's home you need to talk to him. Talk, not argue."

"I know," Leia agreed, "I plan to. But anyway," she changed the subject, "How are you? How's Rey?"

Luke smiled, and his voice faltered a little, "She called me 'dad'."

"What?" Leia gushed, and Luke could hear her smile.

"It was in a card," he explained, "a Father's day card."

"Luke," Leia sighed, "That's so sweet. You two are so lucky to have each other. She really loves you, you know."

He smiled fondly, "It's mutual."

"Speaking of Rey…" Leia started cautiously, "Kylo mentioned she stopped sending him letters."

"Yeah, I know, I'm working on it. Rey's taking this pretty hard. But you know, Kylo hasn't written either. That isn't helping."

"He mentioned that too," Leia commented, "He said he's giving her space. He knows, or assumes, she's really upset and he said he doesn't want to make anything worse."

Luke snorted, "Our kids are more stubborn than us."

Leia gave a sad laugh, "Yeah, I think they are."

* * *

Han came home again just before the holidays – about a week before Luke and Rey were set to arrive. He'd been sure to return for a few days every two or three weeks, but each return was filled with arguing. In some ways, staying away from home helped him pretend that everything was fine, even when he knew, deep down, that it wasn't.

"Han?" Leia asked on the second night of his return. He was staying for almost a month this time since Luke and Rey were visiting. "Can we talk?"

He braced himself for what would likely be another fight.

"I feel like I never see you anymore," his wife explained sadly. It wasn't what he'd expected her to say. "I miss you."

Han looked over into her eyes – the warm, brown eyes he'd fallen in love with, and noticed how sad they were. He cleared his throat, and admitted, "Leia, I've been away so much because I'm afraid every time I come home you're going to tell me we're done. That you can't forgive me."

She seemed surprised, and a bit of her sadness seeped away, "Well, I guess you don't know everything about women yet," she paused, and gave him a half smile. "I know we always fight whenever you're here, but I hate watching you leave. Part of me worries that you've been away so much…that…I'm not sure who you are anymore."

"Someone who loves you," he replied softly.

"I love you too. And I'm not angry with you," she explained, "honestly, at this point I just miss you."

"I've missed you too. I'll stay. We can figure this out."

"I'd like that."

* * *

A week later, Han and Leia welcomed Luke, Rey, and BB-8 into their home for the holidays. The reunion was happy and tearful - at least in Leia's case, when she saw how much Rey had grown in their year apart.

"I missed your 13th birthday! We'll have to get you a present." Leia lamented, "What do girls like at 13?" she asked no one in particular, "Books? Movies? Makeup? Horses?"

Rey laughed, "Books and movies are good. Luke said no to make-up," she playfully scowled in his direction, "but my friend Rose said her older sister showed her how to use it."

Luke scoffed, "We live on a barely inhabited island. Why do you need makeup? Who are you even going to see? And you," he directed toward his sister, "are not getting her a horse. You already convinced me to get her BB-8 and that dog finally just stopped chewing my slippers."

Leia laughed at him, "Okay, okay, no horses."

* * *

Leia kept her promise, and instead, presented Rey with a boxed set of the movies Kylo had suggested on her most recent visit.

"Kylo said he'll watch them with you when he gets here," Leia said hesitantly, then regretted her words when Rey's face fell.

"Actually, Leia, I should have mentioned," Rey's in advanced classes this semester, and her teacher asked that we get her started a little earlier since they have more material to cover. I'm sorry, we just found out," he explained, "We're only here for the week."

Rey left quietly, saying she needed to walk BB-8 – even though the little dog had been walked less than an hour earlier.

"I'm sorry Leia," Luke whispered, "If I'm being honest, it's not just the classes. I just...I don't think Rey's ready. She misses him a lot, but I think she still blames him for all of this."

"It's okay," Leia nodded, "I understand."

* * *

A few days before it was time for presents, Luke joined Leia on a trip to the mall. "Hey Rey, want to come with us?" she heard Luke ask from the kitchen.

Rey's stomach turned a bit, remembering her last time there. "No, I'm gonna stay with here BB-8." Luke nodded, and turned to leave.

Rey curled up with the little dog on the couch, browsing through various movie options that would keep her busy for the afternoon. She passed Gremlins and sighed, debating whether or not it would be a good choice.

"Kid," a slightly more gruff voice said from the entry to the living room, "Mind helping me out? I need to do some work on the Falcon."

She looked up at Han, and smiled briefly before nodding, and turning off the TV.

"Ever fixed a car?" he asked as they entered the large garage he used for work. Rey saw a workbench that took up most of a wall, along with a rack to hold car keys. Today, only one car was parked inside – the Falcon Leia had been driving the first time they met.

She shook her head. Her grandfather wasn't much for cars (he had someone else do the work he needed done), and Ahch-To didn't exactly have roads.

"Well, everyone should know how to change a tire. We can start there." Han found the keys to the car and unlocked it, beckoning Rey to join him by the driver's side. "Know which one is the parking break?"

"No," Rey said quietly.

"It's okay," Han smiled, "most people don't learn about this stuff until they're a bit older than you." He gestured for her to sit down in the driver's seat and pointed to the lever in the center console. "Push the button on the end of that and pull it all the way up."

She did, listening to the lever click in place.

"Perfect. Now we need to get a wrench, a jack and the wedges. The wedges will go under the wheel – the wedges and parking break are so the car doesn't roll when we're working. That's more important if you're on the side of the road, but we need to be careful in here too."

Rey nodded, paying careful attention to what he said.

"Okay, take this," he said, handing her a large wedge, "put it under the front tire by the driver's side. We're changing a tire on the back, so the wedges go on the front. If we were changing a front tire, we'd put wedges at the back. Make sense?"

"Yeah, that makes sense. What's the jack for?"

"We're not ready for that yet, kid. Next is the wrench. I think you'll have to just watch this part," he explained, showing her how he could use the wrench to loosen the lug nuts on the flat tire. "Okay," he said when that was finished, "now it's time for a jack. A jack is what we'll use to lift the car."

"Oh! Is that so the tire won't have so much weight on it?" she asked curiously.

"That's it," Han smiled, then moved to raise the car with the jack. "Kid, can you hand me the wrench again? Now that the car's jacked up, we can finish unscrewing the lug nuts." He unscrewed them one at a time and put them in a small pile on the floor.

"Want to help me pull this thing off?" he asked. She nodded, and helped grasp the tire and pull it free from its hub. "Great work kid," Han praised, "Why don't you roll that into the corner over by the door?"

Rey did as he asked, and came back to see that he was mounting a new tire onto the car. "Mind handing me one of those lug nuts?" She handed him one, and then the others as he asked for them.

"Well, that's pretty much it," Han smiled at her, "all that's really left is to take the car off the jack and make sure the pressure's right. That's pretty boring, so you don't have to stick around for it."

"That's okay," Rey said quietly, "I think this is fun."

* * *

After sending Rey to wash the grease off her hands and head to bed, Luke sat down in the kitchen with Han and Leia. Han swiped a few beers from the fridge, then returned one when his wife waved hers off.

"So, how's he been?" Luke asked. They hadn't had much of an opportunity to talk without Rey around, and Luke wanted to know more about Kylo's year.

"Okay, I think," Leia sighed, "I visit a lot, but I'm sure he doesn't tell me everything. He's behaved well, thankfully."

"Only one fight in a year?" Han smirked, "I think it's a record for him."

Leia glared, then gave a resigned half-smile. "The biggest issue right now is the university. He was in his senior year and now it seems like they might not let him finish his degree. During the last meeting I had with the Dean's Office, they used the word 'expulsion'. They haven't made a firm decision yet, but apparently they like to avoid having students with criminal records."

"I get it," Han sighed, "but at the same time, isn't it a good sign that he wants to continue with his degree?"

Leia nodded. "I'd think so, but I'm not sure they see it that way."

"Well," Luke started, "I actually might be able to help you there. Coruscant University's been trying to get me to guest lecture for a few years. I keep turning them down, but...maybe they'd be willing to make me a deal."

"You'd do that?" Leia asked, "Are you sure?"

"I'm not completely comfortable with it, but I think you're right – I don't think it would bode well for his future if he wasn't able to finish his education. And really, what'll he do with three quarters of a degree? It doesn't make much sense."

Han smiled, and clapped a hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder, "Thanks Luke, we'd appreciate anything you can do to help."

* * *

Contrary to what the adults of the house may have believed, Rey was not sleeping that evening. As much as she would have preferred to, she just couldn't. Sleeplessness had started to become a frequent occurrence. She sighed and reached to pet BB-8. Being in the house again was much harder than she'd expected it to be.

Rey felt bombarded by her own emotions – fury, sadness, shame, guilt…she was furious that he'd been an idiot, sad that all the happiness she'd shared with Han and Leia had been risked, ashamed for feeling any of these feelings while everyone else was suffering more than her, and guilty, because she'd stopped writing.

Three of the four couldn't be cured, she realized. She'd just have to live with them until they eventually dissipated. The guilt, though. She could do something about the guilt. Pulling the notebook from her backpack, she took a deep breath, and began to write a letter she wasn't sure she'd ever send.

She wasn't sure she'd ever give that letter, or the letters she continued to write in the year or so that lay ahead, to Ben. All she knew was that writing them helped her feel better, and maybe someday, she'd be ready to write letters she'd actually send.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Better decisions and a book tour.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are prank calls and milkshakes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've generally been posting at least one chapter per day, and I'm probably going to be able to keep this pace (yay!). I've had a couple of people ask if I'm going to post at a specific time or on a specific day, so I thought I'd just mention it in this note. It's a really good idea, but no, I probably won't pick a specific time or day to post. While it would definitely be convenient for a few reasons, I also think it would slow my pace down. Today is a good example of that - it's my birthday and I'm celebrating by posting a second chapter. If I picked a specific time to post each day, I'd likely only be posting one chapter per day.
> 
> TL/DR: I hope it doesn't bother anyone, but I'm going to just keep posting chapters as soon as I finish writing and proofreading. Thanks again for all your great feedback!

"I have an urgent message for Mr. Hugs," Poe said in his most professional voice, trying not to snicker.

"Yes," the man on the phone said, "This is Hux…"

"Hi, I'm holding for Mr. Hugs," Poe had to cover his mouth, desperately trying not to laugh. Kylo had just walked into the guest house, and he stared at his friend in confusion.

"This is Hux. What's the message?" the man asked, more politely than Poe had expected.

"Okay, I'll hold." Poe put the phone down for a second, his hand going back to cover his mouth before he laughed audibly. He put the phone on speakerphone.

"Hello? Hello?" Hux was asking.

"Hello? Still here…." Poe replied.

"Can you hear me?" Hux asked, sounding confused. Finally Kylo realized what his friend was up to, and he grinned.

"Waiting on Hugs, with an 'H'...skinny guy, kinda pasty?"

Kylo left the room, starting to laugh, and tried to calm down and control his breathing. When he came back into the main living area of the guest house, he could hear Hux still on the line "I'm right here, can you hear me?"

"Look," Poe said, acting frustrated, "I can't hold forever. If you reach him, tell him we've got an urgent message for him…" Poe took a deep breath to avoid laughing, "...about his mother."

Poe hung up quickly when he heard Hux's swears, and the two men burst into laughter.

"What the hell possessed you to do that?" Kylo struggled to say through his laughter, "What are you,  _twelve_?"

"He's been calling and leaving messages for you. Some of them were pretty snarky, so I thought I'd have some fun." Poe grinned mischievously, then sighed, "Hey, I'm glad you're back, K. It's good to see you."

Kylo smiled, hearing the nickname Poe had used for him since they were kids. The men met with a quick hug in the middle of the space that separated them. "I'm glad too," he admitted. "So, I hear you're my new roommate?"

* * *

Kylo decided he was eternally grateful to his uncle after finally hearing that the university would let him finish his degree. With only two courses left to finish, he chose to take condensed classes that would wrap up within half the spring semester. Against Leia's preference, he decided he would skip the formal graduation ceremonies, choosing instead to simply have his degree mailed to the guest house.

On his last day of exams, Kylo returned to the guest house to find a couple of pizzas, a movie set up and ready to play, and his roommate attempting to make milkshakes.

"K! I couldn't remember whether you preferred chocolate or vanilla, so I got neither," Poe winked, "I decided to make them a little more fancy. Your usual order is boring. Should I make you toasted-marshmallow or peanut butter banana?"

Kylo laughed, "They both sound good. What is all of this?"

"Well," his friend explained, "I thought we should celebrate the last exams you'll ever need to take."

"About that," Kylo replied, taking a sip of the milkshake he'd been handed, "I was thinking. I thought I'd try to apply to a graduate program. With everything that happened I'm not sure anyone would accept me, but I thought…"

"No," Poe interrupted, and switched into a funny voice, "Do, or do not. There is no try."

Kylo snorted and rolled his eyes, "You are such a nerd."

Poe laughed, "No but, seriously, I think it's a great idea."

"But first," Kylo added, "I think I need to find a job."

* * *

Leia awoke to the sound of the shower running and the smell of...bacon? She glanced over at the clock on her nightstand and decided that Han was probably getting ready for work, but he likely wasn't showering  _and_  cooking bacon at the same time. Pulling on her robe and slippers, she slipped down the hall and into the kitchen, only to see her  _son_  cooking breakfast.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you," she smiled, "but, don't you have your own kitchen?"

He nodded, giving a small half smile, and replied, "I do, but I wanted to make you breakfast."

"Oh," she said softly, "that's very sweet of you," then she continued in a voice that was half-serious, half-joking, "What do you want?"

He turned red, and she realized she'd hit the nail on the head.

"I need to find a job," he said quietly, "and apparently that's much harder when you have a record."

"Ah," Leia sighed, then sat down and accepted the plate of freshly-cooked food he'd prepared for her, "Well, this smells delicious. Have you thought of being a chef?"

He laughed quietly, and then slowly frowned, "No, but if I did, somehow I doubt I could find a restaurant to hire me."

"Well," Leia thought for a minute, "I do run a highly successful non-profit organization, you know. I'm sure we have positions available. Did you have anything specific in mind?"

"You'd really be willing to hire me after everything that happened?"

"Of course," Leia said, surprised he'd doubt that, "You're my son, and I think a job would be a positive change in your life. But keep in mind," she added, more seriously, "my position in the organization means that I'd also need to be willing to fire you if you started reverting to bad habits."

He nodded, understanding her point.

"So," she said more positively, "What sort of job opening should we look for?"

* * *

"Ok," Luke started after finally getting Rey's attention. The girl was nearly impossible to distract from her tablet. After a single hands-on lesson with Han, she'd found herself obsessed with anything and everything mechanical. Luke was thrilled to see her so engrossed in such a useful obsession, but his encouragement of it waned the day he had come home to find their television in pieces, with Rey desperately trying to put it back together. She still hadn't, and he still hadn't bought a replacement. "Here's the plan. A week from tomorrow, we'll both take the ferry. We'll take a cab to the airport - I have a layover in Coruscant, so Han and Leia can pick you up there, and I'll continue on to the first stop on the book tour. Twenty-four countries over a single summer...I'm not sure I'll survive," he joked.

Rey nodded nervously, not returning his smile.

"Hey, kid, what is it?"

"It's silly…" Rey said, shaking her head.

"Not if it's worrying you, it's not."

"I wish I could come with you," she said, somewhat sadly.

"You do? I thought you  _wanted_  to spend the summer with Leia and Han."

Rey hesitated, and shook her head, "I do miss them, and I know I'd have fun, but I've never really traveled before. Definitely not to other countries. And I'm going to miss you."

"Kid," Luke chuckled, "Why didn't you just say something? All I have to do is call my agent and tell her you're coming with me."

"Really?" Rey asked in disbelief, "You'd actually let me come with you?"

"I'd love it if you did," he answered, smiling widely, "I've never really toured - at least not for this long - and it seems like these full-season tours can be really lonely. But," he pointed out, "we might be really busy. We're never really staying in one spot for more than a few days. And you'll have to stick close to me - I don't want you running around unsupervised in foreign countries."

Her smile was blinding, "I promise! I'll stay close!"

"Okay," he laughed, "we'll have to get you a lot of books for all of the plane rides."

* * *

"He said yes?!" Rose shrieked excitedly. Rey was having a birthday sleepover with her closest friend a little early since she'd be celebrating her 14th birthday on a plane.

"He did," Rey nodded, "I just have to find stuff to do on the plane. I already packed everything else last night. I was too excited to sleep."

"I bet," Rose answered, a little bit of jealousy in her voice, "You're going to have so much fun!"

"I hope so," Rey smiled, "I'll take a lot of pictures and I'll definitely bring you back something cool."

Her friend smiled back, "I'll miss you, but you're gone every summer anyway! I'm not going to have anyone to do all this summer homework with," she complained.

"Paige can help, can't she?" Rey asked.

"Oh, right, I didn't tell you," Rose's face dropped, "Paige is going to college. I always knew she would," Rose explained, "she's so smart. I just didn't know she'd be graduating early."

"Will she be far?" Rey asked quietly, knowing how close the sisters were.

"Yeah," Rose nodded, "She's going to be at one of the universities in Yavin. She said she would have picked somewhere closer, but they have a really good pre-med program. She wants to be a doctor. I guess they also offered her a lot of financial aid."

"Well," Rey said softly, "I'm sure she'll visit as much as possible."

"I know," Rose said, "I haven't told her how I feel about it...I'm really happy for her, and I don't want her to know how bummed out I am. She's leaving about half-way through the summer."

Rey grasped her friend's hand and squeezed. "I'll be back around a month after that. You can call every day and we can chat, I promise."

"Really? Even in different time zones?"

Rey laughed a little, "Sure, but I might be really sleepy when we talk."

"Thanks Rey," Rose smiled, but it was clear that she was still sad. "Oh, weren't you supposed to spend the summer with the Solos?"

"I was," Rey nodded, "but when I realized Luke was willing to take me on the tour with him, how could I not go? I've only ever been in this country, and now I'll be visiting 24 in three months. It's so...exciting! I've never even been on a plane before."

"Oh yeah!" Rose jumped up and found a wrapped package, "I got you something. Well, actually, it's one of the texts my dad teaches with and he had an extra copy, so I didn't exactly  _get_  it for you, but still. I think you might want to take it on the plane."

Rose handed her the package, and Rey opened it to find a heavy textbook on Mechanical Engineering.

"Wow," Rey breathed, "Are you sure I can have this?"

"Yeah, of course," Rose laughed, "I wouldn't have wrapped it and given it to you if you couldn't."

"Wow," she repeated, "Thanks Rose, this is amazing."

* * *

"Hey, there you are," Leia called to Kylo, who was just coming home from his shift. She was relaxing by their pool, enjoying the warm summer sun with a book and a glass of wine. "How was work? How are you liking it?"

"Actually," he replied, "It's pretty good. Much better than I expected."

"That's great," Leia beamed, "I knew I'd picked the right spot for you."

A few days after Kylo had asked her about a job, Leia had presented him with a list of openings at her organization, and they had worked together to narrow down the options to the positions that might suit him best. Leia had been the one to make the final pick, and it had surprised him. She decided he should take over managing the after-school learning programs at the nearby libraries. It was a big job - one he very likely wasn't qualified for, Leia explained, but it was one they'd been struggling to fill.

"How did you know I'd like working with kids?" he asked curiously. His mother did tend to be right about a lot of things, but he didn't expect her to be right about the position she'd chosen for him.

"Are you kidding?" she laughed, "Did you ever see yourself with Rey? You treated her like an equal...you never talked down to her. Kids like that. Plus, you have no patience for adults, but you've always seemed pretty patient with kids. Just like your father. I'm glad it's working out."

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling, "it really is. Speaking of Rey," he changed the subject, "I thought she'd be here by now."

"Oh," Leia frowned, "I thought I told you."

"Told me what?"

"She actually ended up going on the book tour with Luke. I'm sorry, I could have sworn I told you."

"No, you didn't," he said quietly, "It's okay. Are they coming here anytime soon?"

"I don't think so," her frown deepened, "I think the book tour's going all summer."

* * *

Rey finally settled down, exhausted. She hadn't gotten to sleep in her own bed in nearly three months. Though, she had to admit, they'd been put up in some seriously nice hotels...but on the other hand, as nice as they were, they just weren't the same as being  _home._ She looked through all the pictures on her tablet - they'd seen some incredible places, and she couldn't wait to see Rose and tell her everything. She'd also need to tell her that, thanks to all the flying they'd done, she was almost halfway through the Mechanical Engineering textbook. It was incredibly dense, but Rey knew instantly it was what she wanted to do when she got older.

R2 jumped up on the bed, purring instantly, as always. She ran her fingers through silky fur until BB-8 jumped up as well, clearly jealous of the attention the cat was receiving. Typical. Rey giggled, and managed to snuggle with them both for a whole minute until R2 decided  _enough was enough_ and jumped down, meowing loudly.

"Rey, you have a letter," Luke said from the hall. He peeked into her room through the open door and reached out to hand it to her, "I think it's a birthday card."

Rey's birthday had taken place while they were flying over an ocean, much to her delight (and slight terror), and she wasn't sure who would have sent her a card. Leia could have, but she called to say happy birthday, so Rey didn't think it was from her and Han.

She accepted the bright blue envelope, admiring the fact that someone had either remembered, guessed, or accidentally managed to use her favorite color. The card itself was pretty silly - it featured a fluffy orange dog that closely resembled BB-8, and when Rey opened it, she found a short note in familiar flowing handwriting.

_Happy Birthday Rey,_

_I hope you're having a wonderful time on the tour with Luke._

_Come back soon - we miss you._

_Ben_

_PS. I promise we can watch_ The Shining  _next time you visit._

"It's from B- Kylo," she corrected herself quickly. She wasn't sure he'd want anyone knowing she was allowed to call him by his given name.

"Oh, I see," Luke smiled, "Are you going to write him back?"

Rey considered it for a minute. "I'm not sure," she said softly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Internships and driving lessons.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a picnic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty fluffy chapter, so I hope you like it. I might be able to post a second one today, but I can't guarantee it. Thanks again for all your reviews - everyone has been really nice and encouraging, which is awesome. Enjoy!

"Dad?" Rey asked, her boredom apparent, "Are you  _sure_  it's not safe to leave?"

Luke frowned, "Unfortunately not. Trust me, I'd like to get out of here for a bit too, but we're just lucky we were inside when this hit."

The storm had come suddenly a few days earlier with no warning - the high winds and extremely high waves that crashed into the island made for dangerous conditions. Much to Luke and Rey's displeasure, the ferry had stopped running and they'd been forced to cancel their annual holiday trip to visit Han, Leia, and Kylo.

Luke noticed Rey sigh and burrow back into the seat she'd claimed by the fireplace, struggling to regain her focus on the book she'd picked up. BB-8 and R2 were miraculously cuddled up together near the fire, but '3P0 was holding true to his snobby nature and was nowhere to be found.

"I have some good news though," Luke mentioned, hoping to raise her spirits, "I got through to Leia earlier and she suggested something you might enjoy this summer."

"Oh?" Rey perked up, "Are we visiting them?"

"I figured it might be a good idea," Luke explained, "We spent all of last summer on the tour, and I mean, it was a lot of fun, but I thought maybe we'd try and make this summer a bit more relaxing."

Rey nodded, "That sounds good. I'm going to need to study for exams too." She was already looking ahead to the practice exams she'd need to take, almost a year away, in preparation for the actual exams she'd need to take when she applied for colleges.

"Right," Luke nodded, "I thought visiting them might be a nice mix of fun and quiet. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to study."

"So what did Leia say?"

"Oh, sorry, she said that Kylo just started a new volunteer program that matches students in high school up with students in younger grades who are struggling in classes. The older kids tutor them over the summer to help them prepare for the start of their next school year. I guess he's working for her now, managing programs at a bunch of the libraries near Coruscant. She seemed thrilled - it sounds like he's doing a great job with the program. But anyway," Luke continued, "he mentioned to her that it might be a good program for you to participate in. You're a little on the young side," he explained, "I guess they've been asking for applicants 16 and up-"

Rey, who had looked very excited up until that point, interrupted, "But, I'll have just turned 15 when we go…"

"I know, and they know that too, but I gave them the list of classes you've taken along with your grades - sorry," he apologized, "I hope you don't mind that I did that. I wanted to make sure you'd be able to get into the program before I mentioned it to you. But, what I was saying is that your studies are much more advanced than those of most of the older kids they've been accepting. Leia said they'd be lucky to have you."

"Really?" Rey beamed, "I'd love that."

"Perfect," Luke smiled, "I hoped you'd say that. Speaking of classes…" he said, redirecting the conversation, "what on earth are you reading?"

Rey lifted the book off her lap to show Luke the cover. It was an introductory text to Electric Circuit Theory.

"Kid, where do you even get these books?" Luke laughed.

Rey stuck her tongue out at him playfully, "Rose's dad lets me have his older textbooks when he starts using a newer edition."

"Oh, that's nice of him. So...is that what you want to do? Some sort of...science?" he asked.

"Engineering," Rey smiled, "I think. I'm not entirely sure what type yet, but, yeah."

"That's great, kid." Luke chuckled, "But are you sure you don't want to take up writing?"

Rey rolled her eyes, and playfully threatened to chuck the heavy textbook at him.

"Okay, okay!" He held up his hands, laughing, "I surrender! Go be an engineer!"

* * *

After what felt like a month, the storm finally died down. The waves returned to their normal height, and the rain finally stopped. Rey reveled in the beauty of the vibrant green grass covering the island as she half-jogged to Rose's house. She'd only seen her friend a few times during the storm, and while she adored the man she considered to be her father, Rey was looking forward to seeing another face.

She arrived at the little house and knocked, only to be quickly interrupted by a hug. Rose must have been on her way to see Rey, because she'd been right at the door when Rey knocked. The girls met in a tight hug.

"I  _hate_  rain," the girl complained loudly, "Couldn't we have at least had snow? At least that would have been kind of fun."

"I know," Rey agreed, remembering her first snowman fondly, "but it's done now. What do you want to do?"

"Anything," Rose gushed, "seriously, anything. I just want to get out of this house."

"I know the feeling," Rey laughed, "let's have a picnic!"

"Oooh, I love that idea," her friend exclaimed, smiling widely.

"Let's go back to my place and pack lunch," Rey suggested, "I promise I won't let dad try to sneak in any bottles of milk like last time."

* * *

Within minutes of arriving at Luke and Rey's house, the girls had a large basket packed with more food than they could ever eat. Rey hooked BB-8 onto a long leash, and the three of them bounded out the door, saying a quick goodbye to Luke on the way out.

Rey let Rose pick their spot and after checking a few (there were still some pretty damp and muddy areas left after the rain), she finally chose one that was fairly close to the tallest peak of the island.

"Mind passing another sandwich?" Rey asked. The girls were laying next to each other on the blanket they'd brought, staring up at the clouds.

Rose handed her another wrapped package, then pointed up at a cloud, "Hey, look, that one looks like a duck!"

Rey giggled when she saw the cloud her friend pointed to, "It does  _not_! What kind of ducks have you seen?" Rose giggled too, knowing her friend was just teasing.

"So, Leia called dad," Rey started, "I think we're spending another summer with them. Ben set up some sort of summer program at the local libraries and they need volunteers to tutor younger kids who are having trouble in school."

"Wow," Rose commented, excited for her friend, "that sounds really great." Then she added quietly, "Sounds like he's improved."

"What do you mean?" Rey glanced over at her friend.

"Oh, nothing," Rose responded quickly, "It's just that...I mean, just after the last time you saw him he ended up driving drunk and ruining someone's car, and had to serve jail time. And now he's, what, mentoring kids or something?"

"Not exactly…" Rey explained, "But...yeah, I see your point."

"No you don't," Rose smiled knowingly, "I haven't made my point. I'm trying to say that it seems like he's, I don't know, smartened up?" She hesitated, "Have you forgiven him yet? Because you know, it's been a few years. Did you ever even reply to that birthday card he sent?"

Rey paled, and frowned. She was thankful for Rose - she was the kind of friend who'd always be there to support you, but she was also the kind of friend who'd tell you what you  _needed_  to hear. Sometimes Rey wished Rose would, instead, tell her what she  _wanted_  to hear. She loved Rose, but getting called out on her mistakes didn't always feel good.

"No," Rey answered quietly.

"Why not?"

"I don't know," Rey answered sadly, laying back down to look up at the clouds, "I think I  _was_ mad at him for a little while, but I'm not now. I'm just...worried, I guess. Like, maybe he doesn't want to hear from me. I mean, I'm not even 15. I doubt he really wants to be friends with a teenager. He's probably super busy too. It just seems silly, you know? I'd write, but part of me is worried I'd just be annoying him."

"Hmm," Rose thought for a minute, "sounds like you just feel insecure about the friendship."

"Maybe," Rey replied, "Yeah, maybe I am."

* * *

"Rey, can you grab that platter of burgers off the counter?" Leia called to Rey from outside the screen door.

She got up from her spot at the bar and brought the platter to Leia, then decided to forego her studying (at least for the afternoon) and sat down on a poolside lounge.

"How's the studying going kid?" Han asked, handing her a cold can of rootbeer.

"It's alright," she answered, then complained, "there's just so much to cover."

"Yeah," Leia nodded, "I remember when Kylo was studying for those exams. He hated it."

Rey smiled, glad to hear she wasn't the only one. She glanced up at Leia, "Dad said Kylo's away this summer?"

Leia smiled broadly, having never heard firsthand Rey call her brother 'dad' before, "Yes, he is. I guess that's partially my fault. I put him in a position, managing the after school programs of all the local libraries my organization works with. I wasn't completely sure how it would go, but it turns out that he's done a fantastic job. The program has gone above and beyond what I ever expected, and we were approached by the libraries in Naboo...the districts there remember my mother fondly, and they thought it would be nice to start a similar program in her memory. I thought it would be nice to send Kylo to help them out. I'm not sure how long he'll be there, but it's an intensive project." Leia paused, then added, "He was disappointed to miss this visit though."

Rey nodded, understanding. It sounded like he was doing some very important work.

Luke had been watching her face fall, and decided to distract her, "Hey Rey, want to try your hand at grilling?"

Rey looked up to see him wearing a plaid apron that featured a phrase in black: "Good moms let you lick the beaters - great moms turn them off first." She snickered.

"What?" he asked, grinning, "I borrowed it from Leia."

* * *

A month or so into the visit, Rey found she'd gotten used to being extremely busy. She was volunteering with the program Ben had suggested five times a week, and when she came home, she busied herself with test prep.

"You're working yourself too hard, kid," Han commented. He'd just come in from the garage to find Rey studying at the bar in the kitchen one friday morning before she left for the library, "You have to take breaks eventually."

"No time," Rey smiled sadly. He was right, she knew, but it didn't seem like there was any time to take a break.

"Actually," Leia responded from the stove, "that's not true. You've got the day off."

"I do?" Rey asked, "Since when?"

"Since your boss decided she hasn't seen you relax for more than five minutes this whole summer," Leia smiled, "Han, think you could use another set of hands?"

Rey looked over excitedly at him, "I don't want to get in the way," she said quickly, "but I've been studying engines and how cars and other machines work an-"

"Alright, alright," Han laughed, "You don't need to convince me, of course I'd like your help. But the thing is," he paused, "I actually just finished up with the last car I needed to work on today. It's been a slow week," he explained.

Rey nodded and slumped back in her chair, disappointed, but understanding.

"I have a different idea," Han suggested, "Why don't we take you out driving? You're what, 15, right? That's about when kids learn how to drive. Plus, you don't have cars on Ahch-To, so you're probably going to end up learning here anyway."

"Whoa, hold up there Han," Luke chuckled nervously, "I'm not sure that's such a great idea."

"Sounds great to me!" Rey exclaimed.

"Yeah, I'm sure  _you_ like it," Luke scoffed, "but I don't."

Leia laughed quietly, deciding not to get involved in the argument.

"Okay," Han said, trying to find a happy medium, "Why don't you come with us then? We'll find an empty parking lot - we don't even have to get out on the road."

Luke hesitated, and his will power lasted until he saw Rey's wide hazel eyes. Sometimes it was impossible to say no to the girl. "Fine, but the second I think things are unsafe we're stopping."

* * *

"Brake! Brake! Please brake!" Luke yelled from the back seat, desperately trying to grasp for the handle on the door to his right.

Rey straightened the wheels and stopped the car so quickly that Han was mildly worried about whiplash.

"Okay…" Han said gently, "We might have taken that turn a little too sharply."

"A  _little_ sharply?" Luke snapped from the backseat, " _You think_?"

"Luke," Han warned, "You aren't helping. Rey, let's keep our speed a little lower for now. Going over 20 in a parking lot probably isn't a good idea, even if it's empty."

Rey nodded, not realizing how much she'd just terrified the two adults.

"Maybe keep it under 10," Luke hissed from the back seat.

"You," Han glared back at him, "don't stress her out. You're only making this worse."

"Worse?" Luke laughed, "How could this possibly get worse?"

* * *

Luke quickly regretted his words. Apparently, things could get worse. The highlight of Rey's first driving lesson involved the girl forgetting which pedal was the break and which was the gas. She figured it out quickly after managing to accelerate the car into one of the few poles in the parking lot.

"Yeah," Han said calmly, once they'd come to a sudden stop, "That's probably enough for today."

Luke was surprisingly silent from the back seat, and Han didn't plan on looking back to see how he was any time soon. Rey glanced at Han guiltily.

"I'm really sorry," she started, "It was an accident."

"I know, kid, don't worry," Han gave her a slight smile, "Plus, you're going to make it up to me by helping me fix the car."

Rey nodded in agreement.

"So," Han suggested in a somewhat cheery voice, "Why don't we get some ice cream?"

* * *

Eventually Luke calmed down, but it took a hot fudge sundae to put even the slightest smile back on his face.

"Rey," he told her, "I love you. I really do. But I think Han's going to need to teach you to drive." He seemed apologetic, "I just don't think I can."

Han laughed, "Don't worry Luke, I struggled to teach Kylo. I don't know why, he actually wasn't bad at it. It just stressed me out for some reason. Don't worry," he looked over at Rey, "we'll practice more often. You can probably even take your driver's exam here when you're ready."

Rey smiled, and had more of her strawberry ice cream. Just as she finished it, she noticed a familiar man walking toward their table.

"Poe?" Rey asked - it had been a few years since she'd seen Poe at the animal shelter.

"Hey, Rey! It's great to see you. And you brought Han and Luke with you!" He greeted them with a wave. "It's funny, I'm surprised this is the first time I've run into you this summer."

She glanced up at him, confused.

"I'm living in the guest house," Poe explained, "I'm Kylo's roommate. You know," he continued, "it's a shame he's working in Naboo this summer. I know he was bummed to miss your visit."

Rey nodded, and her smile faltered, "I know, it's too bad."

"Maybe next time, huh?" Poe's voice was full of hope, and Rey smiled at him.

"Yeah, maybe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: A girls trip.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a blanket fort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Managed to finish another chapter today! It's a little on the short side, but hopefully it's still a good update. Parts of it are a bit silly, but I figured fluff is always nice to read. This chapter is fairly focused on Rey and Rose. Enjoy!

"Oops," Rey heard her friend mutter. She tried opening her eyes, but Rose scolded her.

"No, keep them closed. I'm almost done! I just smudged it a bit. Super fixable, don't worry."

Rey fidgeted uncomfortably. Rose was sleeping over and she'd finally convinced Rey to let her do her makeup. Rey discovered quickly that it wasn't nearly as fun as she'd thought it would be.

"Okay, you can look."

Rey opened her eyes and faced the mirror to see someone who definitely looked older than 15. Her eyes were lined with something that made them pop, her eyelashes were long and thick, and she noticed that she also wore a bit of a blush.

"Huh," Rey said quietly, "Maybe this stuff isn't so bad."

Rose giggled, "Of course it isn't. And when you get better at it you can have a lot of fun with colors. I like using fun eyeshadows."

Rey looked over at her friend and smiled, "Did Paige teach you how to use it?"

Rose sighed before responding, "Yeah, but I've also been trying a few things out on my own now that she's at college."

Rey winced, regretting mentioning Paige, especially since she knew how much her friend missed her older sister. "Sorry," Rey apologized, "I didn't mean to bum you out."

"Don't be sorry," Rose gave a sad smile, "It's okay. I'm going to see her this summer."

"That's awesome!"

"Actually," Rose mentioned, "I've been meaning to ask you. Paige said we should both come - she works a few days a week, but she said it would be really fun if we come spent the summer with her. I think her apartment gets lonely."

"I'd love to," Rey replied excitedly, "But," her smile fell, "I'm not sure how Luke's going to feel about it, especially since we aren't visiting Han and Leia this winter."

"You aren't?" the girl questioned, "Why not?"

"Well, you know how I mentioned that they were having some trouble while Ben was in jail?" Rose nodded and Rey continued, "So, I guess now that things have been a lot better, Leia wanted to take a vacation, just the two of them. Dad said they haven't taken time to travel together for years, so he wasn't upset. He said it was about time they took a romantic trip."

"Awww," Rose sighed, "Seriously, they sound  _so_  sweet."

"They are," Rey smiled.

"So what about Kylo or...Ben?" Rose asked, realizing she'd heard him called both names.

"Did I never explain that to you?"

"Nope, never. Is Ben his middle name or something?"

"No," Rey explained, realizing she didn't actually know his middle name, "his name is Ben, after my grandpa, but everyone calls him Kylo. I'm not sure what the nickname's about, but he said I could call him Ben. I got the impression he doesn't usually like people to call him that."

"Huh," Rose didn't say anything more about it, "So, what, is he just going to be alone over the holidays?"

"No, it didn't sound like it. Dad said he was planning on spending the holidays with Poe's family. Poe is his roommate - I think I mentioned him. He's the one I volunteered with at the pet shelter."

"Yeah, I remember. Well, that's good, but it's too bad he doesn't come here," Rose commented.

"That would be nice," Rey agreed, "But I think he's getting more involved with Leia's organization. Dad said he'd probably need to keep an eye on things for her while she's away with Han."

"Oh, that makes sense," Rose smiled, "So, should we go ask Luke about this summer?"

* * *

Kylo flipped through the channels, searching for something that wouldn't be completely boring. Normally he'd be hanging out with his roommate, probably playing video games, but tonight that wasn't the case. He finally got fed up with the lack of entertainment options and decided to read instead. Though, as if on purpose, the minute he found a book he felt like reading and opened it, Poe's key unlocked the front door.

"K, you're still up!" Poe noted happily, "I thought you'd be sleeping by now."

"At...11PM?" Kylo said, checking his phone, "I never sleep this early. How was your date?"

"It was…" Poe smiled dreamily, and sighed.

"Wow, that good?" Kylo smirked, "So, why are you home?"

Poe scoffed, "Not all of us hook up by the third date. Some of us have class," he teased.

"Shut up," Kylo muttered, throwing one of the decorative pillows from the couch at his roommate.

"I'm just giving you a hard time," Poe laughed, "but really, it was great. Jess is funny, smart…"

"...don't forget gorgeous."

"Well, yeah, there's that," Poe blushed a bit, and Kylo noticed.

"Huh, you really like her, don't you?"

"Yeah," Poe smiled, "I really do. You know, I could introduce you to one of her friends."

Kylo gave a half-smile, "Thanks Poe, but I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" his roommate asked, sitting down on the couch across from him, "Suddenly you don't date?"

"It's not that," Kylo explained, "It just never goes well after a certain point. Remember my last relationship?"

"K, I'm really not sure two dates and eighteen voicemails can be considered a relationship. I still think you should have gotten a restraining order. That girl was nuts."

Kylo nodded in agreement, "You're probably right. Okay, well, remember how bad things were with Phasma?"

"Phasma's such a bitch though," Poe groaned, "I still can't believe I have to see her at work."

"Yeah, so, I ended things with Phasma after that nightmare of an incident with Rey - remember?"

"You mean when Phasma made a 12 year old cry by calling her a charity case?" Poe answered flatly, " _Not_  one of Phasma's better moments. I still can't believe you tried dating her when you got out."

"I'd been in jail for a year," Kylo answered, embarrassed, and then laughed, "At that point, I might have even been willing to date  _you_."

Poe laughed, "Yeah, I guess anyone would be desperate in that situation. But really," he smiled, "If you want me to introduce you to someone just let me know. I've met some of Jess's friends and they're really nice. It wouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks Poe," Kylo replied, "I'm alright, I promise. Plus, work is keeping me really busy."

"Okay," Poe relented, "Well, I'm going to head to bed. I have to be at the shelter when it opens tomorrow. 'Night K."

"'Night, Poe."

* * *

"Absolutely not." Luke told her firmly.

"I'm going to be 16 soon, I don't see why it's a problem."

"You don't see why I'd have a problem letting you go with another 16 year old - no offense, Rose," Luke added, "to Yavin for an entire summer? You really don't see why I'd have a problem with that?"

"We'd be staying with Paige. She has her own apartment there," Rey explained, "I'm going to be moving to college in a few years, dad, you're going to have to let me leave eventually."

Luke took a few steps back and took a deep breath. "Rey, I understand that. I'm still not sure this is a good idea. Why don't we talk about it tomorrow?"

"You can't just put it off," Rey snapped.

"I'm not," he explained, "I just think we should both calm down a bit before we discuss this and come to a decision. I promise, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Okay," Rey nodded, still annoyed.

"You know I love you," he said cautiously, "I'm just trying to make sure you stay safe."

Her expression softened, "Yeah," she said softly, "I know. I love you too."

Luke smiled, "Okay, tomorrow then. Over breakfast. I'll make pancakes."

"Chocolate chip?"

"Yeah," Luke smiled, "sure."

* * *

"Hi Luke," Leia greeted him happily, "What a nice surprise, I'm so glad you called."

"Hi Leia," he replied, knowing his voice probably didn't sound anywhere near as happy as hers.

"Uh oh, what did Rey do?"

Luke laughed, "Why do you assume Rey did anything?"

"Because," Leia sighed, "that kid is usually an angel, but she's the only reason you ever have that tone. What's going on?"

"Well actually," Luke admitted, "You aren't completely wrong. She didn't do anything, exactly. She wants to go to Yavin with her best friend, Rose. Rose's sister goes to college there, and she's got her own apartment. I guess she invited the girls to spend the summer there with her, and Rey really wants to go."

"I see," Leia nodded, "and you're not sure you should let them?"

"She'll only be 16 by then," Luke explained, "and Rose is the same age. The idea of the two girls traveling there unsupervised is...not ideal."

"Who said they have to be unsupervised? She never asked to travel alone with Rose, did she?"

"Well, no," Luke confirmed.

"So, drop them off there. I know, I know, it's a four hour trip, but it's only two hours from here. You could drop them off, come here, stay for a while, then go home. Or you could stay here for the summer and pick them up on the way home. Either way would work."

"That's actually a pretty good idea," Luke said, "Thanks Leia, I'll mention it to her."

"No problem," Leia laughed, "When you raise a kid like Kylo you learn which battles are worth fighting and which things you should just compromise on."

* * *

Rey wasn't thrilled with Luke's compromise, but she accepted it. As soon as classes finished for the semester, Luke, with the permission of Rose's parents, drove the girls to a small building just inside Yavin. He said goodbye to both of them, gave Rey a big hug, and turned back to the car.

"Oh, wait," he stopped, turning back around to face Rey, "I forgot, your birthday present."

Rey smiled widely. She'd assumed her present was him letting her spend the summer with Rose and Paige. "You got me a gift?"

"Of course, kid. Sixteen is a pretty good birthday - most kids start learning how to drive, but…" Luke shuddered, "I'm letting Han handle that in a year or two."

He pulled a phone out of his pocket and handed it to Rey, "I thought it was about time you had your own cell-phone. I already programmed a few numbers into it - including mine. I expect you to use it this summer."

She nodded gleefully, "I'll call, I promise. This is awesome! Thank you!" She gave him a big hug, and stayed to watch him drive away before she turned back to her friends and showed them her gift.

* * *

Paige's apartment was much bigger than Rey had expected. Paige kept going on about how she was able to get a bigger apartment because she was willing to commute, but Rey was too distracted by the apartment's simple and beautiful industrial design style. She realized that it almost seemed unfinished, with exposed brick and ductwork. The ceilings were high, and metal lights hung from it. There didn't seem to be a lot of furniture, but if anything, that added to the apartment's appeal.

"I thought tonight we could have a bit of a classic slumber party," she heard Paige say, "Pizza, rom coms, ice cream...would a blanket fort be too childish?"

"Not at all," Rose laughed, "I mean, a little," she admitted, "but it sounds really fun."

It took a full hour to build the fort, along with every pillow and more than half the blankets Paige had. They built it slowly, taking care to include the TV, so they could stay inside it while they watched the movies they'd picked out. Just as they were putting the finishing touches on it, Paige's doorbell rang.

"That's the pizza," Paige said, running to the door. She came back a few minutes later with what Rey thought must have been the best pizza she'd ever smelled. Rey and Rose climbed into the fort with the boxes of pizza while Paige started the first movie - Rey's pick,  _Say Anything…_

"So," Paige asked, "What made you pick this one? It's a great movie, but a bit older."

"Ben recommended it a few years ago. I was going to watch it with Leia when I was like, 11 or 12, but she said I was a little young for it."

" _He_  recommended it?" Rose asked curiously, "That's funny. From what you've said about him I didn't expect him to watch rom coms."

"That's what Leia said," Rey laughed, "I just figured I'd have to watch it eventually."

* * *

Once they were two movies in (and had demolished the same number of pizzas), Paige declared that it was time for an ice cream break. The girls carefully climbed out of the blanket fort, only stopping to laugh when Rose found herself a bit tangled up in one of the blankets.

"Okay," Paige said, opening the freezer, "I got three flavors. I wasn't sure what you two would like. We've got rocky road, banana split, and a basic neapolitan." The three agreed on rocky road, and rather than using bowls, they decided to just bring the small tub of ice cream and three spoons into the blanket fort.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?" Paige asked, "We can put on the next movie if you want, or maybe we could play a game."

"Let's play a game," Rey suggested, remembering how much Paige liked Clue.

"Truth or Dare?" Rose asked.

"Sure!" Paige agreed, not noticing that Rey's smile had diminished. She'd not played the game before, and from what she'd heard, it wasn't always a fun game to play.

"I'll go first," Rose volunteered. "Okay...Paige, truth or dare?"

Paige smiled, "Uhhh...truth always seems safer. Truth."

Rose thought for a minute. She hadn't actually thought of a question to ask. "Alright, I have one. What's the most embarrassing thing you do?"

Paige giggled, "Honestly, I think building blanket forts at the age of 22 is pretty high on that list."

The girls laughed, and Paige asked "Okay, it's my turn to ask now, right?" Rose nodded, and Paige asked, "Alright then, Rey, truth or dare?"

"...dare?" Rey hesitated. It's not like the girls would ask her to do anything  _truly_ awful.

"Do you have your phone?" Paige asked, and Rey nodded. "Okay, go grab it."

Rey left the blanket fort to retrieve her new phone, and heard the sisters whispering quietly. They'd stopped whispering when she climbed back into the fort, and she suddenly regretted choosing dare.

"Can I see?" Paige asked politely. Rey handed it to her, and watched her and Rose look through her contacts.

"Is he in here as Ben, or Kylo?" Paige asked, "Oh, there it is, nevermind. Okay," she giggled, "We dare you to call him and just say hi. Rose says you were really good friends but you haven't talked in forever, so we're solving the problem."

Rey wasn't sure whether she'd turned white or red. This wasn't at all what she'd expected of the game. "Okay…" she said hesitantly, taking her phone back, and pressing the button to call out.

She heard the phone ring a few times before anyone answered, "Hello?" she heard a familiar, deep voice ask. She froze.

"Anyone there?" he asked. The girls glanced at Rey, curious as to why she didn't say hello.

"Hello?" he repeated.

Rey's eyes widened, and she quickly ended the call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Rey answers the phone.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a movie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after seeing the comments on Chapter 11 I realized I kind of accidentally ended the chapter at a cliffhanger. Sorry! I didn't want anyone to wait too long for a bit of resolution, so here's the next chapter. This will likely be the only time I post three chapters in a day, so enjoy!

Kylo returned to the living room and found that Poe had paused the movie, deciding to wait for him.

"Hey, who was that on the phone?" his friend asked.

"I have no idea," Kylo inspected the number that had just called him, "I don't know this number."

"Well did they say anything?" Poe asked curiously.

"Nope. Just hung up after a minute."

"Eh," Poe shrugged, "Probably just a wrong number.

* * *

By the end of the summer Luke was more than happy to make the long drive to Yavin to pick up Rey and Rose. He'd missed Rey's presence, and since she hadn't been able to bring BB-8 to the no-dogs-allowed apartment, he was excited to have her home. He loved BB-8, but she was a handful, and it seemed like she really only took direction from Rey.

"Dad, you're here!" he heard a familiar voice shriek, just before he was enveloped in a hug.

"Hey, kid, I missed you," he admitted, hugging back tighter, "did you have fun?"

"You have no idea," Rey laughed, "Paige took me on a tour of the engineering college of Yavin University - I even got to sit in on a summer lecture!"

"Wow, that was nice of her," he said, nodding to the woman who stood next to Rose, "think you'll stick with engineering?"

"Definitely," Rey answered, "and I think I'm going to apply here, too."

* * *

"Leia," he spoke quietly on a call to his sister, "she wants to apply to the university at Yavin. That's at least a four hour drive. I don't know what to do. She got back from a visit with one of her friends a few months ago, and how it's all she can talk about."

" _Luke_ ," his sister said sympathetically, "there's nothing much to do. Soon she'll be going to college - she'll be an adult. That's a good thing, and it's nothing to be scared of."

"That's easy for you to say," Luke muttered, "your son still lives on your property, and he even works for you."

"Yes, I guess that's a good point," Leia agreed, "Wait, Luke...that's a good point. Have you suggested Coruscant University to her? It's got a fantastic engineering program. I know it isn't  _that_  much closer to Ahch-To, but at least she'd be close to us. That's an improvement, right?"

"Hmm," Luke considered it. Obviously he'd prefer her to stay much closer, but she had better options in the cities that were further, like Coruscant. "I guess that's true," he agreed, "I'd feel better knowing someone was keeping an eye on her. But it's not just that. I want her to have somewhere close she can go to and be comfortable...I don't want her to be homesick."

Leia sighed, "You're such a dad."

"Is that a bad thing?" Luke laughed.

"No, of course not," Leia explained, "it's sweet."

* * *

"Uh, hi Mom," Kylo greeted his mother, who'd knocked on the door of the guest house, "you know it's 8 AM on a Saturday, right?"

"And yet you're awake," Leia smiled, passing him, and walking into the room. "You know, considering that I'm renting to two men in their mid-20s, I'm pleasantly surprised with how spotless this place is."

Kylo snorted, "I'm only awake because you've been knocking for five minutes. And was that a compliment, or an insult?"

"Does it matter?" Leia smiled, then gave him a hug. "I've missed you. You've been so busy!"

"Blame yourself," he laughed, "You're the one who keeps sending me out to set up new programs. Plus, you were gone all winter!"

"I've only sent you out on so many projects because you've been so good at it. But, that's not what I came here to talk about," Leia pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket. "Here, Luke got Rey a cellphone. This is her number. I guess over the summer she toured Yavin University, and she can't stop talking about their engineering program," Leia sighed, and sat down at the dining room table. "I know Coruscant also has a great engineering program, so I was hoping you'd be willing to tell her all the wonderful things about attending college in Coruscant."

"So, you want me to help you and Luke convince her not to go to Yavin?" he chuckled.

"No, of course not," Leia scolded, "It's a great school - she'd be happy there, I'm sure. It's just that she's focusing in on one school when she should be considering at least a few different options." She shook her head, "Can you believe she's almost 17? Unbelievable."

"Ah," he nodded, "Okay, that makes sense. Sure, I'll definitely help," he said, taking the slip of paper from Leia.

"Wait," he paused, "this is Rey's number? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Leia answered, tilting her head. "Why, is there something wrong with it?"

"No, I just think it looks familiar," he explained, now searching through the received calls on his phone. "Yep, that's what I thought."

"What's what you thought?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly.

"You're being very...odd today," Leia laughed.

Kylo smiled, "That's what happens when you wake me up early."

* * *

Rey had just come home from class, and sat down in front of a dauntingly large college exam test-prep book. Her phone rang, and she was so excited to have an excuse not to study that she answered it without seeing who was calling.

"Hello?" she greeted, assuming it was Rose. Rose was really the only person who ever called.

"Rey?" his voice was warm, deep, and very familiar.

"...Ben?"

"Do you make a habit of calling people and hanging up?" he asked. She was thankful their conversation was taking place over the phone, because she knew she'd turned red.

"No…" Rey answered quietly. "It was just the one time."

"Why didn't you say hi?" he asked curiously.

"It's a long story."

"I've got a while," he chuckled, not letting her out of it easily.

"Well, I was having a sleepover last summer with my friends, Paige and Rose. Rose knows I stopped sending you letters…" Rey paused. "It was silly, really. They dared me to call and say hi. Rose thought it would be nice for us to be friends again."

The line was quiet for a minute before he replied, rather sadly, "Did we stop being friends?"

"I don't know," she said quietly, "It felt like it, I guess. I was mad for a little while, but then...I guess I was worried I would be a nuisance or something. I didn't think you'd care whether or not I sent letters."

"You're kidding, right?" he asked in disbelief, "Why would you think you were a nuisance?"

"I don't know," Rey replied softly, "Rose said I'm insecure with my place in our friendship. It sounded a silly to me, but...I thought maybe you were just being my friend because your uncle is basically my dad. After a while I just sort of started thinking you wouldn't choose to be my friend if that wasn't the case."

"Rey," he whispered, clearly upset by how she thought of herself, "That's not true at all. I promise. I miss your letters every time I check the mail," he admitted.

"Oh," Rey said quietly, "I didn't know. I'm sorry...I'll start sending them again."

"I have a better idea. I was really disappointed we missed another holiday visit. What if I visit Ahch-To some time this summer?"

"You'd do that?" Rey asked, surprised, "But what about the programs you're managing now?"

"I haven't taken much time off since I started. I can probably get away with taking a month...I'm sure things won't fall apart that quickly. Is Luke around?" he asked, "I should probably make sure it's okay with him."

Rey dashed down the stairs and found Luke in the kitchen, then thrust the phone in his hands without explaining.

"Uh, hello?" Luke asked, unsure of what was going on. "Oh, hi Kylo….of course! Just let us know when to meet you at the docks...great!" Luke handed the phone back to Rey and gave her the thumbs up.

"I'm back," Rey said, hurrying back up the stairs to her room.

"Well, Uncle Luke said yes, so I'll be there in about a week. It's short notice, but this time of year is really slow for me anyway," he explained.

* * *

"You totally owe me," Rose insisted, "If I hadn't suggested that dare to Paige, this never would have happened."

Rey rolled her eyes. "I would have gotten around to talking to him eventually."

"Sure you would have," Rose teased. "Hey, how far have you gotten with your essays?"

"Ugh," Rey groaned, "Please, no more talk of essays. Dad keeps bringing up my college essay, as if I've had any time to even consider it, and I can't handle any more essay talk. Plus, it's almost summer. I need an essay-free summer."

Rose laughed, "Okay, okay, fine, no essay talk. So...what do you think you guys will do when he gets here? Isn't your TV still broken?"

"It's not broken, exactly." Rey explained, "Just, dismantled."

"Right, well, either way, it doesn't work."

"That's...true," Rey admitted reluctantly. "Well, I have my laptop, and we have a lot of books. Worse case scenario, he could probably help with my test prep."

"Really?" Rose asked, an eyebrow raised, "You haven't seen each other in years and your plan is  _studying test prep_?"

"Well, yeah," Rey shrugged.

Rose sighed, "You should at least make a cake. Or have a mini-party, or something. Even just a picnic. Please, just promise me you'll do at least one fun thing that doesn't involve this massive book," she begged, pointing at the test prep book Rey carried.

"Okay, fine. I promise."

* * *

They met Kylo at the docks just a few days after Rey's 17th birthday. She greeted him awkwardly, unsure of what sort of greeting was appropriate when you haven't seen someone in years. He seemed to have a better idea though, because he wrapped her in a tight hug, noticing quickly how much she'd grown. Luke had decided to wait for them at home - he figured they had a considerable amount of catching up to do.

"You've changed so much," he admitted, surprised by how quickly time seemed to have flown by while he wasn't paying attention.

"You know," she pointed out, "I was twelve last time you saw me. Did you really think I'd still look twelve?"

"No," he shook his head and smiled "I guess not."

"So, I'm afraid we may have lured you here under false pretenses," Rey warned, laughing when she saw the confused look on his face, "Our TV isn't working."

"No," he gasped dramatically, "How will we watch this then?"

She watched as he reached into his luggage and brought out a box, about the size of a book. When she saw the cover she laughed.

"Am I finally old enough to watch this?" she teased.

"Probably," he chuckled, "but I'm warning you, it's really long. A little dull, too, in my opinion."

"Well, we should be able to watch it on my laptop," she suggested, "will that do?"

"I guess," he smiled.

* * *

Within days, they seemed like old friends who'd never lost touch. She laughed as he attempted to flip pancakes. He snickered when she burned another cake - her second attempt that day. They packed picnics almost every day, and picked a new spot to enjoy every time. She teased him whenever he spotted shapes in the clouds that  _definitely_ weren't there. It was one of the best summers Rey could remember.

A week or two into his stay, Rey shyly asked for test-prep help, and he happily agreed.

"So," he read the question, "If line L is graphed in the xy-plane shown here," he showed her the graph, "and then translated up five units and right seven units, what is the slope of the new line?"

"Nope," Rey shook her head, "No, that's enough for today, I'm done."

He laughed, "That's all it took to end this madness? A  _math_  question? I thought you liked math!"

"I do, but my brain feels like mush right now," she complained.

"Yeah," he said, looking down at the book of questions, "I can understand that. I have an idea that might help." He put the book down and shoved it under her bed. "Let's forget about the book for the rest of the night."

She smiled, already loving the idea.

"I think we should go bake some brownies, or cookies, or whatever sort of sugary dessert you prefer, and then we should  _finally_  watch  _The Shining_. But we have to bake first...I'm pretty sure you'll need the sugar to stay awake through some of it."

Rey laughed, "That sounds perfect."

Luke left the kitchen immediately upon their arrival, knowing how quickly their baking project would disintegrate into a flour-flinging, dough-splattering-everywhere sort of nonsense. They clearly had fun, and they always cleaned the kitchen up afterward, but he didn't feel like washing flour or egg out of his hair again. He heard Rey giggle and shriek as he walked toward the living room to pick up a book, and he smiled. She hadn't been this happy in a long time.

* * *

On his way to bed, Luke heard the eerie music coming from Rey's open laptop, and he stopped to check in on her. Her door was open, and he saw that her and Kylo were sitting in their pajamas, against the pillows propped up against bed's headboard, a laptop over their legs. He was willing to bet they'd been watching  _The Shining_ , and from the looks of things, they'd fallen asleep in the process. Her head rested on his chest, and his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Luke smiled, happy they'd both finally given up on being stubborn when it was clear that they were good friends. He gently moved the laptop, closing it, and turned off the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: College tours.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a new roommate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I'm stuck at home thanks to a lovely snowstorm but I guess that's a good thing, because it means I'm not working and there's a chance for two more chapters today. No guarantees, but maybe!
> 
> So as I've said repeatedly, I'm going to end up changing the rating to M/E, but not until I age Rey up into her 20s - likely around chapter 18 or 19. It'll be a while, but from here on in, there may be some adult themes like suggestive language and underage drinking. After all, those things are sometimes part of the college experience, and I'm not sure how realistic it would be to exclude them. If you're comfortable with those themes and the eventual change in rating, great! If not, it's completely understandable - I just wanted to give everyone a head's up.
> 
> As always, the reviews have been great! Everyone has been so positive, and it's very much appreciated.

"Rey, we're  _DONE_ ," the girl said enthusiastically, grasping Rey's shoulders, "No more essays!"

"I know!" Rey laughed, "It's hard to believe!"

"No," Rose disagreed, "It's absolutely not hard to believe - do you have any idea how long I spent on those essays? Every college seemed to require something different. And then the  _supplemental essays,_ " Rose groaned.

"Well, you're the one who applied to 11 different universities!" Rey giggled, "I think you can blame yourself for that."

"It's just that," Rose started, "Obviously I want to go to Yavin to be with Paige, so that's my first pick, but it's also not as good of a school as the one in Dagobah, but that one is  _so_ far away, so it's kind of another first choice, but for a different reason. Then I needed at least four or five middle-ish options, and of course, a few safety schools-"

"Hey," Rey laughed, interrupting and snapping her friend out of her train of thought, "it's over, remember? Now we just," she frowned, "...wait."

"Oh, thanks Rey," Rose replied sarcastically, "That makes me feel  _so_ much better."

Rey shrugged, "I tried."

"So, how many did you apply to, three or four, right?" Rose asked.

"Yeah," Rey answered, "Luke thought that was too few, but I didn't want to waste my time applying to schools I'm not that interested in. I'm kind of torn between Coruscant and Yavin. I was so excited about Yavin, but Ben made a lot of good points that are kind of pushing me toward Coruscant. And of course, I picked a couple of schools that are a bit closer, but that was mostly for Dad's sake."

"He's going to miss you a lot," Rose commented quietly.

"Yeah," Rey sighed, "I'm going to miss him too."

 

* * *

 

The car ride to Leia and Han's was as long as ever, but to Rey, it seemed longer this time. Maybe it was because she finally realized this was the trek her or her father would need to take whenever they wanted to visit each other, assuming she picked Coruscant University.

"So, kid," he said, as if he was able to read her mind, "How are you feeling about your college options?" She'd gotten into all four of the schools she'd applied to, and while she knew that should be a relief, it really only complicated her decision.

"Well," she began slowly, considering her words carefully, "I loved Yavin when I visited. Everything there was so...I don't know, vibrant? I met a few of the engineering professors, and they seemed really nice. But, honestly, it seemed a little far away from everything. Coruscant is obviously also pretty far from home, but at least it's near family, and it's in a big city, so there'd be more to do. Plus," she added, "their financial aid package was better."

"That's true," Luke nodded, "but you got decent offers from both of them, so don't let that make your decision. We'll be fine either way," he smiled, "I promise."

"Thanks dad," Rey smiled back. "Anyway, I think this tour will help a lot. Plus, Ben said he'd show us a bunch of the stuff they don't usually show on the group tours."

"That's nice of him," Luke commented, "I guess we'll see what you think when we get there."

 

* * *

 

"So, up ahead we'll be coming to the campus's largest library, the O.S. That might seem like a strange name, but most of the students just use the acronym - its full name is the Organa-Skywalker Library and Archival Research Center," the tour guide turned back to face the small group of parents and prospective students, "See why we use the acronym?"

Most of the group laughed quietly, but Luke turned to Leia, "We have a library named after us?" he hissed quietly, "Were you ever going to tell me?"

Leia rolled her eyes, "Luke, between the amount of money mom left us, and everything I had after my parents died, I figured it would be best to put a bunch of it to good use. I didn't think you'd mind me adding the name  _Skywalker_. After all, I might not use it, but technically it's my name too."

Luke nodded, relenting, "I just wish you'd told me. I could have helped with the donation, you know."

"Oh," Leia perked up, "Well if you ever feel like being charitable, I could make a few recommendations…"

"Hey," Kylo whispered loudly to them, "the group's moving - we should catch up. Maybe you guys can talk about this some other time?"

"Right, sorry," Luke mumbled, feeling as though he may have just been scolded.

They followed the tour through the library, a dorm, and a cafeteria before the four of them broke off from the group to see a few areas Kylo had promised to show them. The engineering college wasn't part of the standard group tour, but Rey was desperate to see it.

They entered the massive stone and glass building, and Rey was instantly drawn to it. "It's beautiful," she gasped.

"Sure, the aesthetics are nice," Kylo laughed, "But that's not exactly important. I checked it out, and they actually just put up another building last year - the one next door. They received a huge endowment and used it to build the new Life Science and Engineering Research Center. Something else you might like," he added, "apparently they've got a state of the art robotics program. I didn't realize it, but they're actually considered one of the best in the world when it comes to robotics."

"Wow," Rey said, unable to come up with anything else - she was overwhelmed, and they were barely inside the building.

"They're also leading the development of new permanent housing that uses solar energy to power everything - it should replace the shelters a bunch of the people in Tatooine use," a new voice commented. A handsome, dark-skinned man walked up to Rey and held out his hand, "Hey, I'm Finn."

"Hi Finn," Rey said warmly, shaking the hand he'd offered, "that sounds like a wonderful project! I'm just taking a tour today - I was accepted a few weeks ago, so we're just taking a look."

"Me too," he smiled widely, "I'm definitely going to accept their offer. I'm enrolling in the environmental engineering program."

"That's great," Rey replied excitedly, "I'm looking at mechanical engineering."

"Well hey," he said, pulling a small notepad from his pocket, and scribbling something down, "here's my number - if you end up coming here, it would be really cool to have made a friend before the first day of fall semester. We might even end up in a few of the freshman classes together."

"Good point," Rey smiled, taking the paper from him, "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude," she apologized, realizing she'd never introduced him to anyone, "This is my dad, and his sister Leia," they nodded, greeting him quietly, "and this is Ben - er, Kylo. He's in a graduate program here, and he was just giving us a special tour."

"Hey Ben," Finn said, holding out his hand again.

Kylo ignored his hand, refusing to shake it, and just said, rather coldly, "You can call me Kylo." He sighed, and became slightly more polite when he explained, "Only my closest friends - the people who know me best - call me Ben."

Rey glanced at him, and whispered so only he could her, "But, I'm the only one who calls you that."

He looked over at her, his eyes softening, as he nodded, smiled, and whispered back, "Yeah, that's what I said."

"Oh," she said softly, and smiled back.

 

* * *

 

Luke padded softly into the kitchen just after 6 AM the next morning. He'd tossed and turned half the night, worrying about every possible scenario that could happen when Rey moved to college.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Leia smiled, already sitting at the bar in the kitchen. She gestured to the coffee pot, already filled for the morning.

"Is there ever a point when you stop worrying?" he asked, sighing. He poured himself some coffee, and took a seat next to her.

"Never," she smiled sadly, "but, you get better at figuring out which things you actually need to worry about, if that makes any sense."

He nodded, understanding. "Well, I think there's one less thing to worry about, at least. I'm not sure what Kylo said, but now she's decided to accept Coruscant University's offer."

"Hmm," Leia took a sip of her coffee, "You know, I have a feeling that might have more to do with Kylo and less to do with what he said about the university."

Luke tilted his head questioningly, "What do you mean?"

"I  _think_  she might like him," Leia replied quietly.

"Of course she does," Luke huffed, "those two are practically inseparable."

"Yeah," Leia said slowly, keeping her eyes firmly latched on her coffee mug, "but that's not what I meant."

Luke seemed confused for a minute, then it dawned on him. "Wait, like, a crush? No, there's no way. I mean, there's a huge age difference, plus," he started to get a little defensive, "she hasn't shown any interest in dating."

"Maybe not to her father!" Leia laughed, "And, have you forgotten that Han and I were 29 and 19, respectively, when we met? It wasn't too long after that when we started dating. It's not  _that_ uncommon, you know."

"Leia," Luke warned her, "There's no way you're right about this. It just isn't possible."

"Mmm," she nodded, "That's exactly what any father would say."

They sat in thoughtful silence for a few minutes before Han woke up and joined them, pouring his own cup of coffee.

"Hey Han," Luke asked, "You haven't noticed anything between Rey and Kylo, right?"

Han was still half-asleep, and he raised an eyebrow at Luke, "Between? What, like, romantically?" he scoffed, "The kid might occasionally do some stupid shit, but he's not  _that_ stupid."

"See?" Luke turned to his sister, "Han agrees with me. There's no way."

Han snorted, then asked Leia, "What, you think our son would be enough of an idiot to try and date a teenager?"

"No, of course not," Leia said quickly, "That's not what I said at all. Obviously he wouldn't, certainly not right now. I was telling Luke I thought  _she_  might have a crush on  _him_. She hasn't said anything, not to me - right now I'm just...guessing, I suppose. Call it women's intuition."

"Right," Han laughed, humoring her, "women's intuition. Sure, sweetheart."

 

* * *

 

Soon after their tour, Luke and Rey returned home to Ahch-To so Rey could finish her spring semester. Graduation followed quickly, but since only a few students graduated each year, the event was small and fairly short. The evening wrapped up with a few tears and a lot of good food.

"I can't believe you're headed off to college," Luke admitted. His voice was happy, but it was laced with sadness. "And you're eighteen. It seems like just yesterday I picked you up from your grandfather's."

Rey hugged him, and didn't let go like she normally would. "I won't be far," she reminded him, still wrapping him in the hug, "and I'm still your kid."

"Yeah, you are," he smiled. "I'm sorry your grandfather isn't here."

"It's okay," Rey smiled, and said softly "I have you."

 

* * *

 

A few days later, after watching her text nonstop (he assumed she was texting either Rose, or Kylo), Luke sat down across the table from Rey.

"So Rey, you know I love you, right?"

She nodded, unsure of where he was going with this.

"And you know you could tell me anything, and that won't change, right?"

She nodded again, raising an eyebrow.

"I just wanted to make sure. If you ever...have...feelings," Luke swallowed, "for anyone, you could tell me."

"Okay…" Rey commented, somewhat confused.

"Even if you liked someone, I don't know, a little older. You could still tell me."

"Dad," Rey finally stopped him, "Being vague never works for you. What are you getting at?"

"Nothing," he replied quickly, "It's just that Leia mentioned something to me and at the time I thought there was no way, but now I'm sort of second guessing myself-"

"Leia mentioned something?" Rey asked curiously, "Someone older? Wait, are you asking me if I like  _Ben_?" she asked, her eyes blown wide.

Luke shrugged, "Well, you guys text constantly, and let's not forget the fact that he actually lets you call him Ben…"

"Dad!" Rey turned deep red, getting up from the table, completely ready to end the awkward conversation, "Of course I don't!"

"Oh, good," Luke sighed, relieved, "That's good."

She rolled her eyes, said a quick goodnight, and hurried up the stairs before he could ask her any more uncomfortable questions. She closed the door to her room and leaned against it, thinking about what he'd said.

She didn't like him,...right? No, of course not. It wasn't possible. That would be ridiculous. Absurd, even. That's right, she though, the whole idea was just absurd.

 

* * *

 

Rey ran toward the docks, afraid she may have missed her friend. Rose had also gotten into most of the universities she applied to, and for a little while she'd gone back and forth between a few. In the end her heart won out, and she finally settled on attending the same school as Paige. She was leaving for Yavin now, and she'd be moving into her sister's apartment when she arrived.

"Oh good," Rey breathed, having run straight from her home to the docks, "I didn't miss you. I woke up late," she explained, "I was so worried you'd have left already."

"Without saying goodbye?" Rose teased, "Never!"

The girls hugged tightly, trying desperately not to cry.

"Rose, I'm going to miss you so much," Rey said quietly.

"I'm going to miss you too," her friend nodded, "Maybe we can visit each other sometime during the year? Take a couple long weekends or something?"

Rey smiled, "Absolutely."

 

* * *

 

Luke was relieved that Rey had chosen Coruscant University, but that didn't mean he was looking forward to moving her in and dropping her off. In an attempt to prolong the inevitable, he declared that they'd spend the rest of their summer staying with Han and Leia. That way, he claimed, they could all help her move into the dorms, and possibly, he could continue to visit with Han and Leia for a bit of the Fall semester. It was definitely not so he could stay close to Rey, he assured her - it was just to spend more time with family.

Rey rolled her eyes a lot during that conversation, but agreed anyway. She didn't enjoy the idea of leaving him alone on Ahch-To very much either.

 

* * *

 

Luke took a spot on the couch next to Han, and watched his sister try to pick a movie. Rey was curled up on the floor with BB-8, propped against a pillow with her back against the padded bottom of a chair. Leia had demanded a movie night for some reason, and now they were just waiting on Kylo to show up.

"So when do you move in?" Leia asked Rey, still looking through the movies they had lining the shelves in the living room.

"Not until early fall," Rey explained. "I'm in standard freshman housing. It's not great, but since their offer didn't include the cost of housing, I figured I'd go with the cheapest option. It's still expensive, but it's not like an off-campus apartment in Coruscant would be any cheaper."

"Wait a second," Leia looked up, her eyes bright, "I have a great idea. Is it too early to tell them you won't be living there?"

Rey glanced at Luke, "Uh, I don't think so?"

He nodded in agreement, "You still have a few weeks, I think."

"Great!" Leia smiled, "Poe's moving out in three weeks to live with Jess - you'll have to meet her. They just got engaged and she's such a lovely girl. Anyway, the guest house is probably bigger and nicer than any two bedroom apartment you'd find in Coruscant. You'll be able to keep BB-8 here, and I'll even make you a deal on rent," Leia suggested excitedly, "If you volunteer part-time for the animal shelter, or any of the programs I run - let's say, at least one shift a week, I'll waive the rent. After all," she explained, "volunteering is so important, and so many young people stop when they get to college. What do you think?" she asked.

"Yes, absolutely," Rey replied, jumping at the offer, "I'd love to live here!"

"Leia, are you sure you'd be willing to do that?" Luke asked, "It's a great idea, but-"

"It's a smart plan," Han interrupted, "Plus, we can keep an eye on her," he said quietly to Luke.

"No 'but's," Leia replied to Luke, "It's a great idea, period. Realistically, you'd be doing us a favor. This way I don't need to find someone else to move in. We could just let Kylo keep the place to himself, but I'm not entirely sure I'd like to see what the guest house would look like if he lived there alone." She glanced at Rey apologetically, "I'm not going to lie, you may end up doing more than your share of the dishes. From what I hear, Kylo  _never_  does dishes."

With timing as perfect as ever, Kylo walked in to hear the tail end of his mother's comment, "Actually, I do all the dishes," he corrected her. "Don't believe Poe's lies."

"Sure you do, sweetheart," Leia laughed, "Kylo, meet your new roommate," she said, gesturing toward Rey, who smiled tentatively.

He blinked for a few seconds. "Huh."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Freshman Year


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is take-out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've done more planning for this chapter and future chapters, so hopefully I'll be able to post a bit more frequently since they'll require less work. I do have a big 15+ page paper coming due in one of my grad courses though, so...who knows. For now, I'm still planning on updating at least once a day.
> 
> As far as this chapter. Well, I'm not sure it requires any comment from me. Enjoy.

As Rey discovered quickly, Poe actually  _had_  been lying about the dishes. Only a few days in and she already thought Ben was turning out to be a fantastic roommate. The guest house was nearly spotless. Her only complaint was that he somehow owned and used more hair product than she did, and she teased him about it relentlessly.

Rey considered this as she waited for the teapot to whistle. She still couldn't get used to coffee, and she guessed it had something to do with being raised on tea, thanks to her grandfather. She smiled fondly at the small white teapot. It had been the one they'd used when she was a child.

She jumped when Poe knocked on the door, and once she saw who it was, she waved him in through the window in the door.

"Hey, Leia mentioned you were moving into my old room," Poe smiled widely, giving her a big hug. "How's K been? Still a terrible roommate?"

"I was  _not_ a terrible roommate, you ass," Kylo smirked, just coming out of his bedroom, "Stop lying to everyone. You know, my mother had Rey convinced that I never did any dishes."

Poe laughed, "Yeah, sorry about that. Nah, you weren't  _that_ bad. Except for all the hair products," he winked at Rey, and she snorted, then nodded. "Anyway," he changed the subject, "I just wanted to drop off my keys. I figured it would make more sense to give them to Rey than it would for you guys to make another copy."

"Perfect!" Rey took the keys he handed her, and frowned instantly, "Poe, you are the worst."

He laughed hard - a laugh they hadn't known he'd been holding back. Rey crossed her arms and shook her head, the expression on her face a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"What?" Kylo asked, confused.

Rey handed him the keys, and he saw that Poe had put the keys on a novelty keyring - one that was hot pink, and featured Barbie dressed as a ballerina. He snorted, "Poe, you really are an ass."

"Sure," the man smiled broadly, "But you guys love me anyway."

 

* * *

 

"We need to get you a new keychain," Kylo said dryly, once Poe had left. The both leaned against the kitchen counter, each drinking their preferred choice of caffeinated beverage.

"No kidding," Rey frowned, holding it up, "this thing is seriously repulsive. But I needed to go to a few stores anyway. I need to buy some things. A few sets of sheets, maybe a new lamp or two...just a few things for my room. It's pretty bare at the moment."

"I can drive," Kylo offered, "I don't work weekends, so I've got no plans for the day."

"What," Rey scoffed playfully, "no social life?"

"Well, no," he explained, "not really. I don't have many friends. I used to - Phasma and Hux, I'm sure you remember them. It took me a while to realize they weren't really...friends. There's Poe, of course, but now that he's moving in with Jess and getting married I don't see him as often."

Rey shuddered when she heard mention of Phasma. "Can I just say, I never liked her?"

Kylo laughed, "She didn't exactly give you many reasons to like her."

"In fact, she gave me a whole lot of reasons to hate her," Rey frowned, gripping her mug a little too tightly. She relaxed after a minute, remembering that those events had been in the distant past. "But I get what you're saying. Now that Paige and Rose are both in Yavin, I don't really have friends either."

"Well, you have me, at least," he offered, smiling and elbowing her arm playfully.

"Yeah," she teased, elbowing him back, "I guess you'll do."

 

* * *

 

"Are you sure this is necessary?" Luke held up the loofa Rey had placed in the cart. "I'm not even sure what this is."

Rey laughed, and nodded, "Yeah, dad, it's just a loofa."

"I know, but isn't the guest house already furnished? Where will you hang this?"

She realized he'd seen the long handle at the end of the sponge, and thought it must be some sort of decoration. Laughing hard, she explained, "Dad, it's just a sponge. Like, for showering?"

"Oh."

Even Kylo laughed then teased, "What, Rey, you didn't see the loofa display I set up in the hallway?"

"You kids," Luke grumbled, "shut up." They both smirked, but did as Luke asked.

Once Rey had filled the cart with a couple of lamps, a small shelving unit, some hangers, and new bedding, the three made their way to the store's registers. Luke took out his wallet to pay, and Rey immediately scolded him.

"Dad, I'm an adult, I can pay for all of this," she insisted. "If I'd known you were going to try to pay I would have gotten less."

"Relax, kid," Luke smiled, handing a card to the cashier, "Do you know how rarely I get to buy you things? I know you're an adult, so, let's just consider this a thank-you present for never being an unruly, difficult teenager."

Rey relented, knowing it would be pointless to argue. "Alright," she sighed, nodding, "thanks Dad."

 

* * *

 

A few weeks later, Rey stepped off one of the Coruscant city buses and felt her stomach flip. Ben had already given her basic directions to her first class, and she'd even been to the building on her tour, but none of that was helping her nerves.

She was working up her nerve to enter the classroom when her phone went off, signaling a new text.

_Hey, don't worry, you'll be fine._

_See you tonight - I'll pick up pizza_

_-Ben_

She smiled, breathing deeply. He knew her well. She stopped to send off a quick text before going in and finding a set.

_Thanks, I needed that._

_Pizza would be amazing._

_-R_

Entering the large lecture hall, she noticed that there were already at least fifty students already sitting. Class wasn't due to start for another thirty minutes or so - it seemed as though Rey wasn't the only anxious freshman. Suddenly, someone started waving her over, gesturing to the open seat that was next to him.

"Hi!" Rey greeted him cheerfully, "Finn, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I wasn't sure you'd remember. Looks like I was right - we are in a class together."

She smiled, "Perfect. I saw the syllabus, and something tells me I'm going to need someone to study with."

 

* * *

 

Autumn came quickly. To Rey, it seemed like she was sitting in her first classes one minute, then hearing the dreaded word -  _midterms_  - the next. Thankfully, no snowstorms were on the horizon, at least not for a month or so, but the breezes that were once soft and warm were now bitterly cold.

Rey called her father almost daily, and was relieved to know he'd be visiting for a good portion of the winter. She didn't see Leia or Han as much as she's expected, but that was likely just due to her busy schedule.

"Ben," Rey asked one morning, "do you mind if I have a friend over sometime this weekend? Midterms are next week and there's one I'm really nervous about. I'd just study with him at the library during the week, but since Tuesday is the only day I don't have class, I was planning on spending the day at the animal shelter."

"Of course," he nodded, "You know you don't have to ask permission, right? Who's your friend?"

"Oh I know, I just thought it'd be polite," she smiled. "You met him actually. Finn? The guy we met while I was touring the university? Turns out he's in my most difficult class."

He huffed, "The one you gave you his number?"

"Mhm," she nodded, not catching his tone. "He's pretty nice. I think you'd like him."

Kylo barely smiled. "I guess we'll see."

 

* * *

 

"No, there's no way that's right," Finn corrected her. Their various books and printed articles were spread across the dining room table.

"I think it is, though. See this article?" she asked, finding a stapled set of papers and handing it to him.

"Well shit," Finn cursed, "I've been doing these calculations all wrong. No wonder I've been getting weird answers."

Rey laughed, and got up to refill their bowl of chips. Just as she entered the kitchen she heard the front door open. Glancing over at the entry, she saw that her roommate had returned. "Hey Ben," she greeted him warmly.

He smiled, and then nodded at Finn, acknowledging his presence.

"Finn, want anything to drink?" Rey asked from the kitchen.

"Nah," he answered, "Actually, I should probably get going, it's almost 7. I've got a date tonight."

"A date?" Kylo asked cautiously, glancing subtly at Rey.

"Yeah," Finn smiled, "a girl from my dorm. She seems nice, so I'm taking her to a movie."

"Oh, that's so nice," Rey smiled, "that's much better than studying. By all means, go! Enjoy your date." She finally walked over to Kylo and gave him a hug, her usual greeting.

"Thanks Rey, we'll chat soon?" Finn asked, "Maybe meet up to study again before the midterm?"

"Definitely," she nodded, knowing she'd need to have at least one more study session.

"Have a good night," Kylo said quietly, and Rey thought she noticed him smile at Finn. Maybe he wasn't always so standoffish after all.

 

* * *

 

Kylo arrived home from work very late one winter evening, opening the door quietly so as not to wake his roommate, assuming she was sleeping. As he'd guessed, she was sleeping, though he didn't expect to find her asleep at the dining room table, her head resting on top of an overly large textbook. He also didn't expect to see that she'd stolen yet another one of his sweaters. Notes were scribbled everywhere in her messy handwriting, and there was a large bag of trail mix - her study snack of choice - that must have partially spilled at some point. Even BB-8 was sleeping, curled up on the floor next to Rey.

He laughed quietly, realizing she must have fallen asleep while studying for finals.

"Rey?" he whispered softly, not wanting to scare her, "Rey, wake up."

She groaned quietly and lifted her head. He laughed when he noticed that there was an imprint of the page's edge across her forehead.

"You fell asleep," he explained, "I think you should get some rest, but maybe not at the table?"

She nodded groggily, moving to pick up her things, and sighed dramatically at the spilled trail mix.

"Don't worry," he smiled, "I'll clean it up. You should get to bed."

She hugged him, burying and nuzzling her head into his chest, and he realized how stressed she must have been. "How did the studying go? Finn didn't want to join you?"

"Not good. And Finn was here earlier, but he left around 8," she replied, "I have no idea how I'm going to pass these finals. Sorry," she apologized shyly, "I just really needed a hug."

"Rey," he admonished softly, tightening his arms around her waist, "you've had nearly perfect grades the whole semester. I know finals are stressful, but there's such a thing as stressing out too much. You could probably stop studying now and still do well."

She nodded, knowing he was probably right. She was likely just worrying too much. "I wish I could just stop worrying about all of this. It's all I'm thinking about lately. I swear, I'm even dreaming about things from my engineering computation class."

Ben chuckled, "That sounds horrible, but I think I have an idea that could help."

"Oh?"

"The holidays are coming up. Poe and I never decorated, but maybe it would be fun. We could even put up a tree, if you want."

Rey looked up at him, and her eyes lit up, "That's such a good idea."

"Good," he smiled, then gently pressed his lips to her forehead, listened to her sigh, and tucked a lock of hair that had come loose from her bun back to its spot behind her ear. "I'll clean this up. Go get some sleep."

He noticed her blush - or, maybe she was just red because she was so tired.

"Okay," she said softly, "Night Ben."

 

* * *

 

The tree she'd picked was perfect, and they spent over an hour decorating it. Leia had supplied them with quite a few decorations, including the ones Kylo had given Rey during her first holiday with them. When it was finally lit up and fully decorated, Rey took a step back and admired their work.

"It's perfect," she smiled.

"Ehh, not yet," he corrected, "I think it's missing a few things."

She looked at him, frowning, not sure what the tree could be missing. He walked into his bedroom and came back with a small box, and handed it to her.

"What's this?" she asked, her smile growing.

"An early present," he replied. "It seemed like we should continue the tradition."

She opened the box to find two small ornaments. One was a bright blue bauble, with the words "University of Coruscant College of Engineering" along with her class year. The other was a small cat, sitting within a wreath, labeled with the title of the animal shelter she volunteered at. It was the ornament they'd been selling this year to raise funds.

"Ben," she sighed, smiling up at him, "You give the best presents."

 

* * *

 

"So, what should we do for your birthday?" Kylo asked.

Rey groaned, "I  _just_  finished freshman year, and you want to put me through  _more_  stress?"

"Stress?" he laughed, "Why would a birthday be stressful? You'll be 19, we should do something to celebrate."

"It's just that Finn and Connix want to throw some big party. Finn called it a "rager", whatever that means. It would just be a lot of people I barely know and a lot of drinking."

"And you don't want that?"

"Not really," she explained, "I'd much rather just stay in. Honestly, the best birthday I can think of would be you, me, Rose and maybe Paige, just hanging out, eating good food and watching movies." She sighed, "Yeah, that's all I really want."

"Hmm," he thought for a minute. "I guess we'll see what we can do."

 

* * *

 

Luke was set to arrive sometime in the middle of the summer - he was on another book tour, so he'd be missing Rey's birthday. But, Kylo thought he'd at least be able to provide Rey with the birthday she was hoping for. He made it a point to casually swipe her friend's number off Rey's phone when she wasn't looking, and called Rose to invite her and her sister to visit. The girl was overjoyed once she figured out who was calling, and agreed with his plans.

Rey arrived home from the animal shelter early one afternoon to find her friends baking a surprising amount of cupcakes in her kitchen.

"Oh no," Rose groaned, "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but now the surprise is ruined. Kylo said you wouldn't be home until 5."

"Normally I wouldn't be," Rey admitted, still shocked to see her friend, "What are you guys doing here?"

Rose quickly brushed the dust off her hands and rushed over to hug Rey. "We're here for your birthday!"

"Yeah," Paige nodded, "Your roommate invited us. By the way, when were you going to mention that you were living with Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"

Rey blushed thoroughly, "He's not handsome," she said, flustered, "I mean, he's not  _not_ handsome, but..."

"Yeah, definitely not," Paige interrupted, agreeing sarcastically. "What has I thinking, he's  _obviously_  not even the least bit attractive."

Rey shushed her, "Just...don't...don't say that while he's here, alright?"

Paige laughed and nodded, finally agreeing to Rey's demands.

The girls decorated the cupcakes once they'd cooled, and about an hour later, Kylo returned home with a giant bag, full of take-out boxes from Rey's favorite restaurant.

"You went to Maz's?" Rey exclaimed. She hadn't gone in months since the restaurant was always so busy. "How'd you even get an order placed? That place basically has a waitlist."

He chuckled, "Maz is an old family friend." He set the boxes down and waved to the two girls that were in the kitchen. Rey wrapped him in a hug, and he sighed contently, returning it.

"Happy Birthday," he said softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

Much to Rey's embarrassment, she heard Paige cough purposefully from the kitchen. She pulled out of the hug, and said shyly, "You pick out a few movies, and I'll get the plates and utensils?"

He nodded, walking toward the little shelf of movies they'd built up over the year.

Rey joined Rose and Paige in the kitchen, casting them both mild glares while she pulled out dishes, forks, and napkins.

Rose giggled.

Paige smirked, and muttered sarcastically, "Oh yeah,  _definitely_  not attractive."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: A date, but not the one might be expecting. (Sorry)


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a lot of ibuprofen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, in my opinion this is when the story starts earning more of an M-E, so I've changed it from T. I'm putting it at E just to be safe, and for future chapters.

"A date?" Leia asked curiously, "Huh. With who?" Somewhere during the summer between Rey's freshman and sophomore years Leia had instituted a weekly Sunday brunch. Rey had arrived a little early to help Leia with the cooking before Han and Ben got there.

"A guy in my lab," Rey answered. "One of my required courses is a science class and there's a weekly lab requirement. He seems nice enough...I don't know, I'm not  _that_  excited about it, but it should at least be fun, right?"

"You know, Rey," Leia said gently, "In my experience, if you aren't really excited to go on a date, it's generally a sign. The first time I went out with Han I had butterflies for about a week in advance. And this guy's taking you out  _today_? And you're not excited?"

Rey sighed, "No, not as much as I expected to be for my first date. But he seems really nice," she repeated, assuring herself, "and it was really sweet when he asked. I thought it would be rude to turn him down. Plus," she added, "I might end up liking him."

"Liking who?" Han asked, coming into the kitchen, still in his pajamas.

"Rey's got a date," Leia answered.

"Oh," Han chuckled, "who's the lucky guy?"

"Just someone in my lab," Rey blushed.

She helped Leia plate the breakfast feast they'd made, and then the women helped themselves to mimosas. Kylo finally arrived a few minutes after they'd sat down, and took his usual seat across from Rey.

"So, how's work been?" Leia asked him, "I haven't heard any updates in a while."

"Which is a good thing," Kylo smiled, "you have enough to worry about without micromanaging my work."

She laughed, and nodded, "That's fair. So, what do you have planned for the day?"

"Actually," he smiled, "I was going to see if Rey needed an extra set of hands at the animal clinic. You go there some Sunday afternoons, right?" he asked Rey.

"Uh...sometimes," she answered hesitantly.

"She's got a date this afternoon," Han interrupted, still trying to tease her.

"Oh." Kylo said quietly, "I didn't know." He paused for a minute, and looked at his phone. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot," he apologized, "I offered to train one of our new staff members today."

Without another word, he got up from the table and left.

"That's odd," Han remarked, "I didn't think he worked on weekends."

Leia glanced at Rey, noticing that her sunny smile had morphed into a frown.

 

* * *

 

Rey returned to the guest house with plans to shower and change, but she hadn't expected to find Ben there. He was leaning against the counter, drinking a mug of coffee.

"I thought you had to train someone?" she asked.

"Uh, no," he said quickly, "I just said that to get out of brunch. I've...got a headache."

"Oh, alright, want some ibuprofen?" she asked, mildly concerned.

"I'm fine," he gave a stiff smile, then walked out of the kitchen, closing the door behind him as he entered his bedroom.

 

* * *

 

The doorbell rang about fifteen minutes earlier than Rey had expected, and she pulled on a light green sweater and left her room to answer it. When she got out to the main living area, she saw that Ben had already beat her to the door.

He was currently staring down her date, which was fairly easy to do considering their height difference.

"Hey Rey," Alec greeted her, somewhat uncomfortably from the door.

"Hi," she waved, "I'll be right there." She grabbed her purse from the counter and walked toward the door, past Ben. She said goodbye and he gave her a bit of a smile, then closed the door behind her.

 

* * *

 

The restaurant he'd chosen for lunch was pretty nice, Rey admitted. It was one she'd never been to, but the food was decent, and the music that played was soft and enjoyable.

"So…" Alec started, "lab last week was awful…"

"Yeah, I guess," Rey nodded, "but it could have been worse. I actually really like physics. I mean, it was a tough lab, but the theory behind it was pretty interesting."

He frowned, "I didn't know it was possible to enjoy a physics lab."

"Well, I did," Rey smiled awkwardly. "So, what's it like living in the dorms?"

"Cool, I guess," he replied, "the parties are good. Why do you live so far off campus?"

"Oh, the people who own the guest house - Han and Leia - are basically family, and they suggested it so I'd be more comfortable, and so I could keep my dog with me."

"Huh," he commented, "Well at least you're saving money on rent, right?"

"Yeah," Rey nodded, "Leia and I actually worked out a deal on that. Rather than paying rent, I volunteer part time."

"That's weird," Alec replied, "doesn't that get in the way of studying?"

"No, I just have to manage my time a bit," Rey explained. "I volunteer at the local animal shelter, and I actually really enjoy it."

"Oh."

Rey frowned. This was a bit more uncomfortable than she'd expected.

A few minutes into dessert, Rey's phone started ringing.

"I'm really sorry," she apologized, "I should have turned it off." Looking down at the phone, she realized the call was coming from Luke. "Actually, this is my dad. I should probably take this."

She glanced around to make sure it wouldn't be rude if she answered, and noticed that nobody was sat in the tables around them.

"Hey dad," she answered.

"Hey, Rey," Luke said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. Instantly she knew something was wrong. "I'm really sorry to tell you this over the phone, kid, but I didn't want to wait until the next time I saw you."

"What's wrong?" Rey asked quietly, a million potential fears running through her mind.

"It's '3PO. He's been slowing down lately," her father sighed heavily, "I knew he was getting older - he's older than R2. I didn't it would be so sudden."

"Oh," Rey felt all the air leave her lungs. "Dad, I'm so sorry." She started feeling tears prick at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm okay, kid. I've still got R2. I wasn't expecting it. I just wanted to let you know...can I call you later? I...I need to go bury him."

"Yeah, of course," she said softly. She sniffled, and took a deep breath, "I love you, dad. I'll talk to you soon."

After hanging up the phone she gently wiped her eyes and looked up apologetically at her date, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize that would be an emotional call," she explained.

"No worries," he shrugged, "What happened?"

Rey sighed sadly, "One of my dad's cats died."

"Oh," Alec said, seeming relieved, "I thought it was a grandparent or something."

"Uhm, no," Rey replied, somewhat taken aback, "Why did you think that?"

"I don't know," he shrugged again, "I didn't know people got so upset over cats. I'm more of a dog person."

 

* * *

 

Kylo heard the front door open, and then slam quickly. He stuck his head out of his bedroom to see what had warranted the loud noise.

"Rey? Was that you?"

"Yes, it's me," she replied angrily.

He walked out into the main living space and saw that she was angrily pacing the kitchen, her arms crossed.

"...did the date not go well?" he asked hesitantly.

"You could say that," she snapped.

"Do I want to know?" he asked, taking a seat at the bar.

She glared at him, then sighed. "First it was just awkward. Nothing bad, just...awkward. But then, dad calls me toward the end of lunch and told me that '3PO…" she paused, tears once again threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Hey, hey," he comforted, grabbing a tissue and giving her a hug, "it's okay. What happened?"

"He died," she said quietly, and gave a small sob. Ben's grip around her tightened.

"I'm sorry," he said gently, "that's awful."

"Yeah," she nodded," it really is." Then she remembered how her date had reacted, and she started feeling angry again, "But Alec didn't seem to think it was a big deal. He basically shrugged it off."

"Oh," Ben nodded, understanding her reaction now. "Well...I was just about to eat a bunch of ice cream. Want to join me? We don't even have to use bowls, we can just get the whole container and a couple of spoons. I'll put on a movie. Maybe it'll help?"

She nodded, "That would be great."

 

* * *

 

A few months later, Luke showed up for the holidays. He was in much better spirits and for once, he was surprisingly excited to see BB-8.

"Movie night?" Leia suggested during one Sunday brunch.

"Oooh," Rey said excitedly, "We haven't all done that in a while!"

"Ok," Luke nodded, "but this time, I get to pick the movie."

Later that evening Rey and Kylo came back from the store with popcorn and movie candy, only to find Luke struggling to pick.

"You have too many options," he scolded Han, who had already claimed one of the cozy chairs.

"Don't blame me," the man laughed, "I just watch whatever Leia picks."

"Smart man," his wife smiled, and winked.

"Anyone want to help me?" Luke whined from his spot in front of the shelves. "This is getting a little overwhelming."

"Here," Kylo offered, taking one off the shelf and handing it to his uncle.

" _The Princess Bride_?" Luke asked, an eyebrow raised.

Kylo shrugged, "I've been meaning to show it to Rey. It seemed like one she'd like. Knowing her she'll just fall asleep anyway, but it's worth a shot."

Luke chuckled, "Still can't make it through a movie, huh?"

"Oh shut up," Rey complained from the couch, "If you stayed up to study as late as I do you'd fall asleep all the time too."

Kylo was right, to nobody's surprise. Luke glanced over as the characters on the screen started storming the castle to see Rey's head rested on Kylo's shoulder. He watched as Kylo carefully grabbed a blanket and laid it over her, then gently kissed her cheek.

Luke looked over at his sister questioningly, and she returned a knowing look, and a shrug as if to say  _I told you so_.

 

* * *

 

"Poe, why are there so many undergrads here?" Kylo asked, somewhat annoyed, "I thought you said this was going to be small. It seems like half the university's here."

"Relax, K," Poe replied, "this is probably the last party I'm going to throw. I can't imagine I'll still be doing this after the wedding. And you know, I invited a bunch of the grad students I knew and I guess they invited friends."

Kylo glanced around the room, trying to see if he even recognized anyone. After a minute he was sure they were all strangers, until one person caught his eye. She was taller than usual in heels, wearing a short black dress that might have seemed modest from the front. The back was another story. Thin black straps criss-crossed over the length her back, meeting the rest of the dress at her hips. It didn't leave much to the imagination, and he swallowed hard.

"Poe," he nudged his friend, pointing toward the woman he'd seen, "Tell me that's not Rey I see taking shots with her friends."

"Uh…" Poe chuckled nervously, "didn't she just turn, like, 20 last week?"

"Yeah," Kylo answered, still not taking his eyes off her.

"Dude, you have to stop staring," Poe laughed.

Kylo turned to him. "I'm not staring."

"Sure, I'm just saying, you're nowhere near as subtle as you think you are."

Poe turned to talk to one of his guests, still laughing at his friend. Kylo took a deep breath, and walked over to Rey.

 

* * *

 

"I thought you said you were going out with friends?"

She turned in his direction, having just taken another shot of whatever Finn had handed her.

"Ben? I thought you never went to parties!" she exclaimed, clearly already somewhat drunk.

"I didn't know this would end up being a party," he explained. "Hey, have you eaten recently?"

She shrugged and accepted another shot from the bar. Ben shook his head, and ran his fingers through his hair. He chuckled as he realized he'd get to be the designated driver for the night.

"Okay, well, if you're going to keep drinking we should at least get you something to eat."

 

* * *

 

As annoyed as he'd been when the quiet gathering had become a full-blown party, Kylo counted his lucky stars that he'd been there to get Rey home safe. The party seemed to end around 2AM, after public transportation stopped running, and that's when he found Rey's purse and practically carried her to the car. Her friends all lived nearby, thankfully, but he wasn't sure how she'd intended to get home.

When he finally helped her into the car, she burst out laughing for no apparent reason. He chuckled, "Well, at least you're a happy drunk."

He shushed her as they walked the path to the guest house. It was unlikely that she'd be able to make enough noise to wake up Han and Leia, but he didn't want to risk it.

"That was  _so_  much fun," she whispered loudly before bursting into another fit of giggles.

"I'm glad you thought so," he smiled, shaking his head.

Once they were inside he helped remove the ridiculously tall heels she'd picked for the night, and he spent a minute wondering how on earth she'd managed to walk in them sober, nevermind while drunk.

"You know," she said, giggling again and smiling at him, "you're wonderful."

"Uh...thanks," he laughed, "and you're really drunk."

"I am, yes," she nodded, trying to make a serious face, 'Yes, I am. Paige was right though."

"Huh?"

"Paige. She called you 'Mister Tall, Dark, and Handsome'. I tried to get her to shut up but she's just so right, you're so attractive."

"Uhh…" he chuckled, "Maybe we should talk about this in the morning."

She stood on her tip-toes to hug him, and he assumed it was to say goodnight. Her intentions became more clear when she sighed, and started gently planting kisses along his neck.

"Ah, okay," he pulled away from her gently and snorted, "Yeah, you're going to be incredibly embarrassed about this in the morning. Okay, go on, go get into pajamas. I'm going to get you a lot of water and some ibuprofen. Judging by the amount of shots I saw you take, you're going to need it."

She shuffled off to her room, and he shook his head again in disbelief, not completely believing the last five minutes had happened. He filled a large water bottle and grabbed ibuprofen from the bathroom, then knocked on the door frame of Rey's room.

She granted access - the door was mostly open, so he entered, and felt his jaw drop. He spun instantly, keeping his back to her. "Shit, Rey, seriously? Can you at least put a shirt on or something?" He felt himself flush, and muttered under his breath, "Are you  _trying_ to kill me?"

 

* * *

 

Rey felt the sunlight on her face and groaned. Her head was pounding. She opened her eyes slowly, and closed the blinds the minute she got out of bed. She was  _never_  drinking again. Entering the main living area, she found Ben cooking the best food she'd ever smelled.

He glanced over at her when she entered, and noticed with relief that she was fully clothed in pajama shorts and a baggy t-shirt. She sat down and gently rested her head on the bar, groaning again.

He chuckled, "That bad, huh?"

"If this is what a hangover feels like, why do people ever drink?" she asked, lifting her head.

He laughed quietly, handing her a plate of greasy breakfast food and a tall glass of water, "So, I'm just wondering. Do you remember last night?" He watched as she blushed and made very firm eye contact with a nonexistent spot on the wall. "Ah. So, that's a yes, then."

"We could just pretend I never said any of that…" she said shyly, "...or... _did_  any of that."

"Hmm," he nodded, "We could."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Someone makes a bet.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a snowstorm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I left the last chapter where I did, but I think I’m making up for it now. My state’s currently getting hit by a nightmare of a Nor’easter and I’m without power, so this chapter is coming to you courtesy of a half-charged laptop and a questionable LTE hotspot connection from my phone. Anyway, enjoy!

"We could just forget I said any of that," she said shyly, "Or did any of that."

He nodded, "We could."

"So…" he asked, still amused, "I'm handsome, huh?"

She crunched up her nose and sighed, finally glancing up at him, "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

"That would probably be a good revenge for making me be your designated driver last night," he smiled. "But no, I won't give you a hard time. We can forget it, don't worry."

His stomach dropped when she nodded, seeming relieved.

* * *

A few weeks later, Kylo and Poe walked out of the guest house having just changed into swim trunks. Han and Leia were hosting a cookout that Saturday to celebrate both the end of Rey's sophomore year and the arrival of Luke, who was joining them for the summer.

"You're staring again," Poe commented under his breath.

"Yeah, I know," Kylo sighed, "But can you blame me?"

Rey had foregone a bikini for the day, and was instead in a high-necked dark blue one-piece. It seemed to cover most of her body, until she turned, and the geometric cutouts that ran up either side could be seen. It also had a very deep v cut out in the front that was covered by a fairly see-through blue mesh.

"Nope," Poe shook his head, "I definitely understand. I don't get why you haven't just said something, especially after that party."

"She was so embarrassed the next morning," Kylo explained, shaking his head. "I'm not sure it's a good sign if she has to be drunk to admit she likes me."

Poe nodded, understanding.

Rey was chatting with Jess, Poe's fiancé, about wedding planning. As Kylo walked toward them he heard what must have been the most boring conversation he could imagine.

"So, I went with lilac for the dresses, but now I'm not sure what sort of flowers I should use."

"Well…" Rey began, "Maybe, lilacs?"

"No," the woman shook her head, "I was originally thinking that too, but that's just too much of one color, you know?"

Rey nodded along, sighing. No, she didn't know. She'd only been talking to Jess for a few minutes, and while the woman was incredibly kind and normally quite fun, Rey found herself more than a little bored with all the wedding planning talk. Kylo noticed the subtle look she shot him that screamed "Save me, please."

He smirked, knowing a fun way to get her out of the conversation while simultaneously annoying her. He casually walked past her as if he was going to talk to his parents, then snuck up behind her, swept her up into his arms, and picked her up off the patio.

She shrieked in surprise, and realized with slight horror that he was walking toward the pool.

"No!" Rey yelled playfully, "Don't drop me! Put me down!"

"Those are kind of contradictory requests, no?" he asked.

"I meant don't drop me in the pool!"

"Rey, I told you if you didn't get in the pool I was going to toss you in. What's the point of a pool party if you never actually get in the pool?"

"Ugh," she moaned, "Okay, fine."

He gently tossed her in the pool, smiling gleefully as she shrieked and laughed. A few seconds later he jumped in after her.

"You're terrible," she laughed, pushing him away and splashing more water in his direction.

Luke took a seat next to Leia and Han, watching the amusing scene. "So…how long has this been going on?" he asked, gesturing at the two who were busy splashing at each other and giggling like children.

"Going on?" Han huffed, "Nothing's going on. They're just having fun."

"Of course you'd think that," Leia rolled her eyes, looking over at her husband. "I love you, but you must be completely oblivious. Even Luke sees it."

Han shook his head, "You guys are crazy."

"Want to make a bet?" Leia asked, half-joking.

"Sure," Han laughed. "Easy money. But, on one condition," he looked at Leia seriously. "You can't try and play matchmaker. Let's say, $20?"

Luke was looking more and more concerned, "Are we sure this is a good idea? I don't like this. She's not even 21 yet…I'm not sure I like the idea of her dating someone who's almost 30, even if he is your son."

Leia ignored him and replied to Han. "Hah," she laughed, "they're living together, constantly spending time with each other. Have you ever really seen either of them date recently? Trust me, they don't need anyone playing matchmaker. One of them will get up the nerve to say something eventually. I can feel it."

"Yeah," Luke shook his head, "I definitely don't like this." He watched Kylo pick Rey up out of the water and hold her to his chest gently for a minute before smiling mischievously and dropping her back into the pool.

"I'm pretty sure you'd have a problem with Rey dating anyone," Leia commented. "I'm not sure if anyone's ever told you this, but you're kind of protective." She got up from her place between them and left to get a drink.

"Hey Han," Luke asked quietly, "Mind keeping an eye on those two for me?"

"Sure, kid," Han chuckled, "But I still don't see it."

* * *

Summer turned to fall, much to Rey's dismay. She was looking forward to a new year of classes, but saying goodbye to her father was always difficult. Junior year hit her like a ton of bricks, her class load considerably heavier than the year before. It seemed like more and more often she fell asleep in the library while studying after class. She realized quickly that her schedule no longer matched well with Ben's, and she missed seeing him daily.

She sat in one of her lectures, a little sad about missing her closest friend, when her phone went off. Rey quickly moved to turn it off, embarrassed it had gone off in the middle of the lecture. When she looked down, she saw it had been a text from Ben.

Miss you, have any time this weekend?

You can pick the movie, I'll bring the pizza.

-Ben

Rey smiled and sighed happily, knowing she could move her shift at the animal shelter to a different day to make time for him.

Miss you too. Sorry I've been so busy.

If you can do Saturday I'm all yours.

-R

She didn't pay much attention to the rest of the lecture. Now her mind was focused on what movie she should pick.

* * *

"Pretty Woman?" he scoffed. "You're seriously going to make me watch this?"

Rey shrugged, "You're always picking out rom coms. Plus, Leia recommended this one."

"There's a difference. I pick out classic rom coms. Besides, my mother would recommend any movie starring Richard Gere," he replied, frowning.

"Well," Rey smiled sweetly at him, "you said I could pick."

He shook his head and sighed, "This is the last time you get to pick the movie. You know, I really thought you had better taste," he teased.

She laughed, and set the movie to play. Relaxing on the couch next to him, she covered herself with the fuzzy blanket they kept nearby. BB-8 jumped up to sit next to her, and seemed overly interested in the pizza Ben had set on the coffee table in front of them. Within twenty minutes, Rey was cuddled into Kylo's side, and his arm was resting on the back of the couch.

The movie was great, in Rey's opinion, but Leia had never warned her about a particular scene. A certain scene that involved a piano and what she could only assume was some sort of PG-13 version of oral sex.

"Huh," Rey said to no one in particular, tilting her head as she watched the scene.

Kylo cleared his throat, and turned off the TV.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Rey glared over at him.

He deflected her response by teasing, "Don't I remember you once asking why anyone would ever have sex? What did you say it was…" he pretended to think about it, "Gross? Awkward?"

She scowled and smacked him with the throw pillow that had been behind BB-8. "I was twelve, you asshole. Obviously I don't still think that."

"Oh?" he asked, his voice suddenly sounding deeper than Rey remembered it. She glanced over and noticed a gaze that made her blush.

"Fine," she muttered, turning back to the TV, "Pick something else."

* * *

Rey came home one night that winter after her last final, elated to finally be finished for the semester. She'd gone with Finn and Connix to a celebratory dinner, and they'd stayed out a little later than planned. It had started to snow suddenly, and the temperature dropped to a frigid low. Rushing in from the cold, she arrived inside the guest house and noticed that it wasn't much warmer inside.

"Good, you're here," Kylo came out of his bedroom, wearing a heavy sweater and carrying a small pile of blankets. "I was worried you'd gotten caught in the storm. Power went out a few hours ago and the heat went with it," he explained. "Hey," he stopped his train of thought, "I should have asked – how was the final?"

"It went well, I think," she nodded, starting to shiver. "So, are we just going to bundle up in blankets?"

"Oh, right," he continued, "Dad's actually got a fire going in the study. The house is still pretty warm, so I figured we should stay there for the night."

"As long as it's warm," she agreed. Rey left him in the living room and returned quickly with a set of warm pajamas, her phone charger, and BB-8's bed. "Okay," she nodded, "let's go."

The fire Han had set somehow kept the house at a relatively comfortable temperature. Not as warm as Rey would have liked, but it was certainly warmer than the guest house.

Leia had set up a large blow-up mattress in the same room as the fireplace. "You're welcome to use the guest rooms, of course," she explained to Rey, "but they're in a different part of the house, and last I checked, they were pretty cold. Our room is on the opposite side of the wall," she pointed at the wall the fireplace was built into, "so we're getting some of the heat from the fireplace."

Rey smiled, and thanked Leia, "Don't worry, this is fine. It's a lot better than freezing to death. Plus," she added, "The fireplace is so cozy."

"Romantic, too." Leia added under her breath, with a smile.

Kylo returned from the kitchen a minute or two later with a teapot, two mugs, and two packets of cocoa. "I thought it might be nice," he admitted, "but then I realized that this was the only way to heat the water since the power's off." He set the teapot on the brick of the fireplace, close enough to heat up, but far enough away so it probably wouldn't come to a full boil.

"Great idea," Rey smiled. "Hey, I'm going to go get in pajamas."

She walked over to the small pile of things she'd brought from the guest house when he stopped her, holding out a small pile of clothing. "You don't seem to have a lot of warm clothes," he said, almost shyly, "I thought you might want to borrow some."

Rey accepted the small stack that included heavy sweatpants and one of his favorite sweaters. "You're the best," she sighed, "But you know you're never getting these back, right?"

She heard him chuckle as she turned the corner in search of a bathroom.

* * *

"We lost power like this on Ahch-To a few times," Rey told Kylo about an hour later. They were laying on their sides on the large and surprisingly comfortable air mattress, facing each other, covered by a considerable amount of blankets. BB-8 had insisted on laying between them, at their feet. Kylo had offered to take the floor so they wouldn't have to share the mattress, but Rey had refused.

"Oh? What did you do to stay entertained?"

Rey thought for a minute, "Well, if it happened at night I'd usually just try to sleep. During the day we'd read. There was this one time," she laughed, "just before you came to spend the summer. We lost power while Rose was over and she insisted on playing these silly, childish games until we fell asleep."

He laughed. That sounded like Rose. "What sort of games?"

"Oh you know, stuff like Truth or Dare."

"Huh," he smirked, "Want to play?"

"Are you really that bored?" she asked doubtfully.

"I'm not sure if you noticed," he teased, "but we don't really have much to do."

"Okay," she sighed, shaking her head. "You know the rules? You have to answer the truth or do the dare, and you can only choose one to turn down for the whole game. I think Rose also said you have to alternate between truth and dare each turn. But that might have just been a rule she had for Paige," Rey laughed, "Paige never picks dare."

"Alright," he nodded, "those rules sound reasonable."

She smiled, "My turn first. Truth or Dare?"

He considered it for a minute. "So, Truth is obviously the easier option, right?" He saw her nod, "Alright, truth."

She took a few seconds to decide what she'd ask, and then asked quietly, "What was jail like?"

"Oh, no, we're passing on that one," he shook his head, still smiling.

"You're going to use your pass on the first one?" she gave him a look of disbelief, "You know that just means I'm going to make the next one more difficult, right?"

He nodded.

"Okay, fine," she agreed, "I've got another one." Her smile dropped a bit as she made eye contact with him and asked softly, "Do you ever think about kissing me?"

"All the time," he answered quietly, without really thinking. He met her eyes and inhaled sharply. She was so beautiful it hurt.

Rey blushed and broke eye contact, then responded shyly, "Uh, okay…your turn. I pick truth."

"Were you and your friends actually talking about me? You know, when they came for your birthday?"

Rey giggled, bringing her hand to her mouth, "They didn't know we were both living in the guest house. I guess Paige was surprised I hadn't mentioned it to them. I'm pretty sure I already drunkenly repeated the only truly embarrassing part of that conversation."

"Ah," he nodded, "The tall, dark, and handsome thing."

She nodded back at him. "Truth or Dare? No…wait, you already did truth. If we're playing by the rules Rose insists on, you'd have to go for a dare next."

"Well," he sighed, and chuckled softly, "I trust you won't make me do anything completely ridiculous."

"Kiss me."

"What?" he asked quietly, assuming he'd misheard.

Rey swallowed, second guessing her decision. It was going to be horribly embarrassing if he didn't want to finish the dare.

"That's the dare," she explained softly, "Kiss me. I mean, obviously you don't have to, but if you wanted to-"

He interrupted her, sliding an arm tightly around her waist, pulling her to lay flush against him. His other hand moved to cradle her head, his thumb caressing her cheek as her eyes widened at his reaction. "You're sure?" he asked softly. As soon as she nodded he gently pressed his lips to hers, and her hands moved to rest on his chest.

It felt like he was finally breathing for the first time.

After what felt like an eternity, Kylo deepened the kiss, and felt her moan. Rey tasted sweeter than honey, and he realized quickly that he'd never be able to get enough. Her hands dragged down his front, settling on the tight muscles she felt at his stomach.

Without breaking away from their kiss, Kylo gently rolled over her, carefully pressing her into the mattress. His soft lips continued to move over hers at an agonizingly slow pace. Rey brought her hands up and started running her fingers through his hair, urging him to keep kissing her.

Suddenly the lights came back on, but they were too lost in each other to notice.

"Hey kids," Han said from the hallway, not realizing what he'd interrupted, "Power's back on."

They quickly pulled apart when they heard him, neither wanting to be caught in such an intimate moment.

In the light, Kylo looked down at Rey, and his stomach dropped. He couldn't tell if the look on her face was one of panic, regret, or a mix of both.

* * *

"You kissed her? Finally," Poe exclaimed, "I've been telling you to do that for…how long? It's been at least a year. Wow," he said shaking his head, "I can't believe it took a game of Truth or Dare for you to finally kiss her."

Kylo groaned. "Another five or ten minutes and it would have been a lot more than kissing. The timing was terrible," he sighed. "But it was probably a good thing. You didn't see her face after. I'm almost completely sure she regretted it."

"There's no way," Poe corrected. "Trust me, it's definitely mutual. She probably just feels weird about it. I mean, think about it. Think about your history. You've known her since she was a kid – it's probably just going to take her some time to adjust."

"Yeah," Kylo nodded, "Maybe you're right. I hope that's all it is."

"You know, there's a great way you can find out," Poe explained. "It's this revolutionary new technique called talking to each other," he laughed. "Seriously K, you're not going to know unless you ask."

Kylo sighed and asked quietly, "What if she really did just regret it?"

Poe sat down next to him and patted him on the shoulder, "I don't think that's it, but I guess there's always a chance. Sure, I guess you risk hearing that answer if you talk to her, but you've got to ask."

"I'm not sure if I dare to."

* * *

A few days later, their schedules finally lined up again. Rey was finding that her schedule was pretty hectic, but thankfully her spring semesters always seemed to be slightly more forgiving than her fall semesters. She found him leaning against the kitchen counter, inspecting a small piece of card stock. They hadn't really spoken since the night they'd kissed. Rey wasn't sure if it was because they were quietly avoiding each other or if their schedules had simply kept them too busy. She took a deep breath, and sat down at the bar, glancing into the kitchen, and greeted him.

"Hey Ben," she said softly. She'd been struggling to think of anything but the kiss they'd shared.

"Hi," he replied, not looking up from the item he held. "I got the invitation to Poe's wedding."

"Oh, right," Rey nodded, "I got one too."

He looked up at her, carefully considering his next words. "Do you…want to go together?"

She paused, and then smiled slightly before nodding. "Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: A wedding.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is liquid courage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all your responses - you guys have all been so great! My power's still out, so I'm at my in-laws charging all my stuff and taking advantage of their wifi. This is a short one, but I have a feeling you'll still like it. Enjoy :)

Thanks for all your responses - you guys have all been so great! My power's still out, so I'm at my in-laws charging all my stuff and taking advantage of their wifi. This is a short one, but I have a feeling you'll still like it. Enjoy :)

* * *

"Okay, let me get this straight. You were cuddled up in a bed with him, in front of a fireplace, during a blackout, while there was a snowstorm outside?"

Rey nodded at Rose. She was currently sitting in her bedroom, video chatting with the two sisters while her roommate was at work.

"Then somehow he suggests a game of truth or dare?" Rose gave her an incredulous look, "And you use it as an opportunity to get him to kiss you?" The last part came out as a bit of a shriek.

"I'd like the record to show that I totally called it," Paige laughed.

"You have to tell us what it was like," Rose ordered, "I mean, after the kind of looks we saw you guys giving each other, it must have been good."

"What looks?" Rey asked defensively.

Paige smirked, "The ones that make people feel like they're interrupting something. Rose is right...the way he looked at you was, I don't know...smoldering? Molten?...let's just say, hot."

"It was…" Rey hesitated, not sure how to describe it. "He ended up pulling me really close. He was touching my cheek and asked if I was sure, and I've just never been so sure of anything in my life. His lips were so soft, and he just kept pulling me closer, and then he was on top of me and...I don't know what else to say. It was indescribable."

Rose giggled, and Paige nodded knowingly.

Rey blushed, and shook her head. "His dad interrupted though. I don't think he realized we'd been kissing but it was so awkward."

"Most first kisses are awkward," Rose smiled.

"Wait," Paige said, surprised, "this was your first kiss? Like, with him or ever?"

"Both," Rey admitted shyly.

"And you had the nerve to dare him to kiss you?" Paige laughed, "That's actually pretty impressive. I never would have dared to do that."

"So," Rey started, changing the topic slightly, "it's been weird since then. We haven't really seen each other much, and honestly, I'm a little worried he's been avoiding me. I finally saw him the other day and I think we're going to our friend's wedding together. But the problem is, I don't know if it's a date, or if he was just suggesting we go together because it'd be convenient to share a car. Honestly I have no idea."

"Well, you could just ask him," Rose suggested helpfully.

"Yeah...that's probably true. But, what if it's just as friends? Or, worse," Rey took a deep breath, "What if this is just a casual thing for him? I mean, he doesn't really date...I've gotten the impression he kind of just hooks up. It was something I heard Poe joke about once. He said something about Ben not really being the type to date."

"I guess it depends on what you want," Paige pointed out. "Do you want to hook up, or do you want a relationship?"

"Honestly, I think," Rey paused, "I think I love him. I knew I loved him like, a friend, or I don't know, maybe sort of even like family, but not in a weird way. Now it's," she took a deep breath, "...something else." She looked at the screen and saw her friends grinning widely.

"I knew it," Rose laughed.

"Look, Rey," Paige advised, "if that's how you feel, just be careful. I think he feels the same way, but if you're nervous that he just wants to hook up, then just wait for him to give you some sort of sign either way. Until then, maybe try to keep him at arm's length. If I were you, I'd save myself the stress and just talk to him about it. But really," she added, "I'm pretty sure he's crazy about you."

* * *

Rey sighed as she followed Leia into the fifth shop of the day. She'd happily agreed to shop for dresses her and Leia could wear to Poe's upcoming wedding, but at the time she'd had no idea how long it would take, or how exhausting it would be.

"So, Rey," Leia asked, holding up lovely purple strapless gown, "do you at least know what color you'd like to wear?"

"Blue," she answered without hesitation. She wasn't sure why, but it was always her go-to.

"Mmm," Leia nodded, "he loves it when you wear blue."

"What?" Rey asked curiously.

"My son." Leia replied, an eyebrow raised as if what she'd said was common knowledge, "He loves it when you wear blue."

"I, I don't know what you mean," Rey stammered, glancing at her own shoes.

"Sure you don't," the woman smirked. "Now, this is going to be a pretty fancy event, according to Poe, so we'll probably end up with something at least tea-length for you. It's an evening reception, after all."

Leia helped her pick out a few, and she found a room to try them on it. A few were just a bit too much, and others left her wondering how she'd ever get back out of them. Finally, Leia lifted one over the dressing room door that looked promising. It was another bright blue dress and it wasn't quite floor length. Leia had picked a strapless chiffon gown with a sweetheart neckline. The fabric crisscrossed over the bodice, and then draped into a flowing skirt. It was simple, and gorgeous.

"Let me know if this one is too much, okay?" Rey said as she came out of the dressing room.

"Oh Rey," Leia gushed, "It's perfect. That's the one."

Leia had apparently found her dress while Rey was trying hers on, and finally they made their way to the cash register. While in line, Leia decided to ask, "So, is this wedding a first date for you two?"

"Date? What? No," she shook her head, then said softly, "At least, I don't think so."

"But, you want it to be?" Leia asked curiously.

Rey hesitated, not sure of how much she should say, "No, of course not."

* * *

It seemed as though Rey's junior year was intent on rushing by. Every day there was another class, test, or assignment, and every day was another day closer to the wedding. Her dress hung in the closet, and her heart pounded at the thought him seeing her in it. Ben was...different. They weren't spending as much time together, and while he was just brushing it off as a busy few months, that wasn't what it felt like. Rey tried to spend more time studying or hanging out with Finn and Connix, and on the nights she found herself home alone, she wrote, telling herself it was a journal. But no matter how much she said it, it wasn't a journal. She was still writing letters. Letters she'd never send.

Before too long, her 21st birthday had rolled around, and junior year had come to a close. On a rare night, Kylo came home before 7PM and found her at home, laughing happily with Finn and Connix.

"Hey, Kylo," Finn waved him over, "come play. We're just starting a game."

He walked over to the table and saw they were playing a board game. There were half a dozen takeout boxes on the table, along with a small birthday cake.

His eyes got wide. "It's your birthday."

"Well, yeah," she smiled, nodding, "I had to check to make sure, but it turns out, I have one every year."

"Right," he shook his head, "I'm so sorry, I've been so busy. I…"

"It's okay," she interrupted, and smiled reassuringly, "you've barely had a day off in months. I understand."

"Yeah, I just feel terrible," he said quietly.

"Don't worry about it."

"I think things have finally calmed down at work," he explained, "I finally hired someone to take over the managing for the new branch of libraries we've started working in, so I don't have to oversee them any more. Can I take you out to dinner, whenever you're free? This weekend?"

Rey laughed quietly, "Wow, things really have been hectic for you." She smiled softly, and explained when she saw his confusion, "The wedding's this weekend. I'd love to have dinner, but I think we already have plans."

* * *

The next morning she woke up to a small vase of roses on her nightstand and the smell of chocolate chip pancakes coming from the kitchen. Slipping on a thin grey robe, Rey padded out to the kitchen and smiled widely, seeing Ben flipping pancakes at the stove.

"Oh good," he smiled, "I was hoping the smell would wake you up."

"What's all this for?" she asked, smiling happily up at him.

He laughed, "Your birthday, obviously. I still can't believe I forgot. Especially your 21st."

"Well," she sighed, "it's not like I was planning on going out drinking."

"Why not?"

She answered him with a blush.

"Ah, right," he cast her a smoldering gaze, "Well, you know, if you change your mind about ever going out with your friends, I've found lately that I've come to like being your designated driver."

* * *

"K, you're at a wedding. She looks incredible, you look great, weddings are romantic, so just go do something romantic. Please," Poe practically begged, "I'm so tired of seeing you guys stare at each other. Stop eye-fucking her and maybe just actually-"

"Poe," Kylo hissed, interrupting him, "You're not being very quiet."

"It's my wedding," his friend hissed back, "I don't have to be quiet."

Poe rolled his eyes and shoved Kylo in the direction of the table Rey sat at, then walked off to find his new wife. Rather than walk toward the table, Kylo changed his direction, and walked toward the DJ's booth.

Rey sat next to Han and Leia, somewhat awkwardly, waiting for Ben to come back from talking with his friend. Suddenly she heard the first few notes of one of her favorite songs, and she smiled, noticing him walking back toward her.

"I love this song," she said softly.

"I know," he smiled and held his hand out to her, "that's why I requested it. Want to dance?"

She took a deep breath, took his hand, and let him lead her to the dance floor.

Leia's eyebrows shot up. "I'm pretty sure I just heard our son tell Rey he requested this song for her."

"Okay…" Han shrugged, not sure what Leia was implying.

She scoffed, "Are you even listening to this song?"

 

_I knew I loved you then_

_But you'd never know_

_'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go._

 

Han glanced up cautiously at the two, and saw that they were in a close embrace, their eyes locked.

"I'm going to lose that bet, aren't I? Our son is such an idiot," Han groaned, putting a hand to his forehead.

"He's such a romantic," Leia smiled, ignoring Han. "I had no idea. I guess it just took the right person," she commented.

* * *

_I'm so in love with you_

_And I hope you know_

_Darling your love is more than worth its weight in gold._

 

"I forgot how romantic this song was," Rey commented shyly, feeling herself blush. She hadn't felt his eyes leave her once, and all she could think about was how safe she felt in his arms.

Ben smiled, and spun her. When he pulled her back from the spin, she found herself even closer, their faces barely an inch apart. He had an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and one of his hands held the back of her neck. She didn't think she'd even been this close to anyone but him before.

Her eyes went wide when she realized how close their lips were. Looking into his deep brown eyes, she suddenly felt nervous at the implication of everything between them.

"Alcohol, uh, drinks" she stammered, shaking her head, snapping out of his spell, "I need a drink. Maybe drinks. I'm sorry." She gently pulled away, smiled awkwardly at him and turned, walking in the direction of the bar.

"Yeah," he agreed after a second, swallowing when he realized how close he'd been to kissing her again. "I'll join you."

* * *

Thankfully, Poe and Jess had splurged on an open bar. Rey walked up and immediately ordered a double, and quickly took the shot before ordering another.

"Might want to slow down," he suggested with a smug smirk. "Remember what happened last time you got drunk?"

"This time it's not just me," she smiled, and set the second shot in front of him, "This time, you're joining me." She laughed a bit, "I'll not have you mocking me about that night for the rest of my life."

"Uhhh," he hesitated, "Last time I got drunk I made a few poor decisions."

She nodded, understanding, "Why don't we make a deal? I'll keep you from stealing any cars, and you'll keep me from...well...let's just say, doing anything stupid."

He paused, and then smiled. "Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Han is not impressed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is an awkward family dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this chapter got away from me. I didn't even realize until it was too late - this is about double the length of a few other chapters, and I actually had to cut about 1500 words that I ended up moving into the next chapter. And let's face it, I'll probably post that one today too. I'm probably going to need to make this 21 chapters, but we'll see.
> 
> As far as reviews - if anyone does notice errors, whether they're spelling, grammatical, etc. feel free to let me know. Usually I'd ask my husband to edit my writing but I didn't really want to subject him to this much Reylo, so this is basically unedited and I really won't be offended if anyone points out mistakes.
> 
> Enjoy. :)

"Keys? Are there keys?" Rey asked him, just before she started laughing again.

"I didn't drive," he said, attempting to explain why he didn't have the keys to the guest house. "The- there was a cab." He looked down and noticed she'd decided to sit down outside against the front door and laugh hysterically.

"Rey, we need to get inside," he whispered loudly, then chuckled at the fact that she was  _still_ laughing for no apparent reason.

They'd lost track of their drinks around 10PM, and now it was sometime after midnight. She'd kept her promise, and they'd gotten a cab, but halfway through the night their definition of "anything stupid" had changed drastically.

"Here," she handed him a bag, finally going a whole five seconds without cracking up.

He accepted her small purse. "Why would you give me this? How is this going to help?"

"Inside!" Her nose crinkled, and she dropped her head back against the door, laughing again.

"Oh my God, Rey, you're so drunk."

"I'm not drunk, you're drunk," she teased childishly.

"Well...yeah, actually," he nodded, "but I think that's your fault." He remembered then that she'd handed him her purse, so he opened it in hopes that she'd brought keys.

"Rey, how would this be helpful? You brought like, four different lipsticks. And...condoms?  _Why_  are there half a dozen condoms in here? Who brings a purse of lipstick and condoms to a wedding? What the hell kind of event did you think this was going to be?" He starting laughing hard, and she joined him.

"You tell me," she whispered loudly, "You're my  _date_."

"Okay, that's fair," he paused, considering the implication. "We  _really_ need to get inside. Why did neither of us bring keys?"

She snorted, "You were too busy looking at my chest."

He was too drunk to blush anymore, but he muttered, "Was  _not_."

Suddenly they heard BB-8 jumping up against the door, and Rey laughed  _again_. "BB, let us in!" she whispered loudly.

"Rey, she's a dog," Kylo chuckled, shaking his head, "Any other ideas?"

"Rock." She replied, with absolutely no explanation, as if he was just supposed to read her mind for the rest of the relevant information.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"The rock! With the key!" She pointed toward a small rock that they'd hidden a spare in.

"Oh, right," he laughed, picking it up, taking the key, and unlocking the door.

He'd forgotten to warn her when he opened it, and she fell backward into the guest house, laughing, of course.

"Shit, sorry Rey," he apologized, then chuckled, "I'm  _never_  drinking with you again. You are  _way_ too ridiculous."

He helped her off the floor, and she stumbled, falling into him. He gave up trying to help her in, and instead, swept her up into his arms.

"Oh," she said softly, finally not laughing, "I guess this is alright. You have  _such_  nice arms."

He huffed, and smiled at her, then carried her into the kitchen and sat her on the counter.

"I might be drunk," he admitted, "but at least I know that you need some water."

"Mmm," she practically purred, and leaned against the cabinets behind her, "that's not  _really_  what I need."

"Oh, you definitely do, we're both going to be really hungover in the morning," he explained, pouring a glass and completely missing her tone.

"No, I meant you," she whined.

"Yeah, I know, I'm going to drink water too, don't worry."

"Ugh," she groaned, "Ben, are you always so  _stupid_ when you drink?  _I need you_."

"Oh." He stepped closer, setting the glass of water down near the sink.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close enough to gently meet his lips with hers. If he was surprised, he didn't show it, choosing instead to wrap an arm around her, and snake a hand through her hair.

Rey moaned, and he used the opportunity to trace her bottom lip with his tongue. She granted access quickly, and deepened the kiss.

After what could have been minutes or hours, they broke apart, and caught their breath.

"Wow," she breathed, "I didn't think you'd do that again."

"What?" he asked, "Kiss you? I always want to kiss you."

"But you  _never_ do," she scolded playfully.

"I wasn't sure you'd want me to," he replied softly.

She smacked his shoulder lightly, "Well in the future, don't be an idiot."

Kylo laughed, and kissed her again, then wrapped her legs around his waist. He lifted her easily, and walked toward her bedroom.

She sighed into him, and started pulling her fingers through his hair, kissing his neck.

He paused for a minute, having what was probably his first somewhat sober thought of the late evening. This was  _Rey_.

"Wait, Rey, hold on," he pulled away gently and set her on her bed. "There's a line here that we haven't crossed. I'm not sure we should," he added hesitantly.

"Why not?" she asked breathily.

"Because," he swallowed, and kissed her forehead, "I'm not sure I'd be able to handle it if you regretted it in the morning."

Rey chuckled, bravely playing with the buckle of his belt. "Oh, I wouldn't, trust me."

He looked at her nervously, deciding what to do.

"Oh, what the hell," he muttered, meeting her lips in a harsh, spine-tingling kiss. She moaned softly, and he followed her down to the bed.

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the impractical white curtains she'd put up in the room when she'd moved in years earlier. Obviously she'd been too drunk the night before to consider closing the blinds. Rey stirred quietly as she felt him place gentle kisses across her back. Taking a quick check of her surroundings, she noticed that he was laying behind her - spooning her - with an arm under her head and another curled over her body, holding her tightly, just under her breasts.

Rey sighed, and relaxed back into him. He continued kissing across her back, noticing she'd woken up, and then gently rolled her over to face him.

"Hey," he smiled softly.

"Hi," she returned his charming, soft, beautiful smile. "Uh...I assume I'd remember," she asked, a little embarrassed, "but did we…I mean, I noticed we're both still wearing underwear, but..."

"No," he chuckled. "I mean, we both wanted to, and you were really annoyed with me, but I stopped it from going that far. I promised I'd stop you from doing anything stupid, remember? At some point last night I just figured you'd want to be a bit more sober for what I assume would be your first time." She blushed, and nodded.

He paused, and asked the question he'd been dreading. "Is this another one of those things you just want to forget about?" He looked down at her, now propped up on his elbow, waiting for her answer.

"Do you?" she asked quietly.

He swallowed hard, and reached up to caress her cheek, "What if I can't keep forgetting?"

She smiled, and moved further into his arms, "I think that would be okay."

As soon as Rey said the words, Kylo lowered his head to press his lips to hers. Gently rolling on top of her, he kneeled, and helped wrap her legs around his waist. She used her legs to pull him closer, and he lowered his head to plant soft, open-mouth kisses in a line from her neck down toward her stomach. About halfway there, he heard a soft noise, and chuckled.

"Do we need to feed you?" he smirked.

She covered her face, embarrassed, and admitted it, groaning, "Yes, actually, I'm starving."

"How do pancakes sound?"

* * *

The pancakes were amazing as always, Rey thought. She sat on the kitchen counter letting her legs dangle, wearing nothing but underwear and the button-up shirt he'd worn the night before.

"If this is how you'll look," Kylo commented, his voice husky, "please help yourself to my clothes, whenever you want."

Rey laughed, and took another bite of pancake. She noticed him watching her, and felt that she now understood what Paige had meant when she used the word  _smoldering_.

"So," Rey asked, finished with her breakfast, and thrilled to find that she was nowhere near as hungover as she'd expected, "What do you want to do today?"

Kylo raised an eyebrow, and walked toward her until he stood between her legs. He gently took the plate from her hands and set it down on the counter next to them. Her breathing quickened just enough to be noticeable as he rested a spread hand on each of her bare thighs, and slowly started to slide them higher, his thumbs and forefingers coming within an inch of the edge of her underwear.

"What do you think?" His voice was low, and suggestive.

"I think…" Rey smiled, and reached to trace her hands over his impressive bare chest, "Great minds think alike. However," she smiled, "I'd really like to take a shower first."

"You know, I've heard great things about shower sex," he winked.

Rey laughed, and he let himself get caught up in how beautiful she was.

"I'm sure, but, maybe we'll try a bed first?" she smiled, and watched him nod. "Come on then," she gestured. "I can't promise shower sex...at least not this morning," she explained, "but I definitely like the idea of getting you naked."

"It's mutual, sweetheart."

* * *

Rey hadn't exactly seen a naked man before, she realized. Not in person, at least. And even of the ones she'd seen briefly in various movies, none were as attractive as the one in front of her. She blushed as she realized she'd been caught staring.

"No need to blush," he laughed. "You're allowed to look at me, you know," he smiled, his gaze meeting her eyes.

"I just didn't know you'd be so...proportional."

He laughed, "Oh, is that why you're so embarrassed?"

She shrugged shyly, and stepped under the water. They didn't touch much, at first, instead opting to simply share a proper shower.

"Did you just use conditioner before shampoo?" Kylo asked her, incredulously.

"Oh, uh…" she glanced at the bottle. "Yeah, I guess so." Rey glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow, "Not all of us have such a strict regimen when it comes to our hair," she teased.

Kylo laughed, and took the bottle from her, setting it down on the shelf behind him. He lifted her chin and kissed her, his hands moving to her hips, gently pushing her back against the shower wall.

Rey felt his body glide against hers, and shivered, even though the room was filling with warm steam. She felt his erection against her stomach, and she sighed deeply as he reached up to feel the fullness of her breasts.

She felt like he surrounded her, just like the steam that filled the room.

"Maybe we should get dried off?" he whispered gently, their foreheads now pressed together.

She nodded.

* * *

They kissed slowly, both wrapped in towels, while he led her slowly toward his room.

"Wait," she stopped for a minute, "don't you have work today? She glanced up and saw that it was already after 11 AM.

"No," he shook his head curiously, wondering if she was stalling. "I thought it'd be nice to have a few days off after the wedding." A brief look of realization flashed across his face. "Do you not want to do this? Rey," he smiled, "we don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"It's not that I don't want to," she explained quickly, "I definitely do, believe me-"

Her sentence was interrupted. He'd reached out to gently grasp her hips, and he pulled them back to his. She relaxed into him, and felt one of his hands softly ghost over her back. He slowly kissed down her neck, and caressed the skin he found at the top of the towel that was wrapped around her.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to do," he repeated.

"It's just, I was feeling nervous before," she blushed, "and then after seeing you in the shower...well," she paused, biting her lip, "I'm just more nervous now."

"Oh," he chuckled, "don't worry, it'll be fine. We'll take it slow."

"Alright," she nodded, and reached her hand up to meet his, at the top of her towel. She untucked it, and let it fall.

He paused. "I know I just saw you in the shower, but…" he swallowed, and said softly, "Wow."

His hands trailed burning lines up from her hips to her stomach, and when they slid up over her breasts she sighed. She reached for the towel that was wrapped around his waist, and carefully pulled it off.

Within seconds, he'd claimed her lips, and Rey felt that he had every bit of her attention. Just like she'd felt in the shower, he surrounded her. It hadn't even registered that he'd lifted her. She only noticing that he'd gently set her down on his bed. Rey hadn't spent much time in his room, and now she was far too distracted to take a good look at it.

Kylo climbed over her, supporting himself on his hands and knees, placing scorching kisses across her neck and chest. It seemed his goal was to leave no part of her untouched. Rey instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, and she moaned as he reached her breasts, his warm tongue teasing softly across her nipples.

He continued kissing, licking, and sucking, all the way to her stomach, and she blushed when his hands slipped down between her legs. She felt a finger slip inside her and she gasped. She moved so she was propped up on her elbows, watching him, and their eyes connected.

"Do you ever touch yourself like this?" He asked, gently feeling until he found the sensitive partch that made her back arch ever so slightly.

"I can never get the angle right," she admitted.

He nodded, and curled the finger inside her, gently moving it over the sensitive spot. He lowered his mouth and started gently licking every area around her clit, and continued at a frustratingly slow pace for a few minutes until he heard her say "Ben,  _please_ ," in a strained voice. Her breathing had become rough and unsteady.

He gently covered her sensitive nub with his lips, sucking lightly, smirking softly when he heard the appreciative noises she made. His tongue gently caressed the area, and he repeated his ministrations until he heard loud moans. She said, with a slight whine to her tone, "I think I'm close."

She'd been feeling pressure building low in her stomach, and after she told him, she noticed the addition of a second finger, stretching her deliciously. He moved them a little faster, and the pressure that rested low in her stomach continued to build to an impossible height until finally, the dam broke, her back arched, and her mouth made noises without her permission.

"Wow," Rey breathed, her eyes closed while she enjoyed how relaxed her entire body had become.

She felt his proud smirk, and when she opened her eyes, he was gazing down at her, his eyes now impossibly dark.

"Still want to keep going?" he asked, watching for her reaction.

Rey answered with a kiss, and Kylo moved so that he sat, his back against the solid headboard of his bed. She followed him, and let him pull her onto his lap, their bodies finally meeting in a more intimate way.

They kissed again, and she moaned when she realized she was tasting herself on his tongue. He slipped his hand between them and started gently circling her clit, as she placed him at her folds, slowly lowering herself onto him.

It seemed like his heart rate skyrocketed as he became enveloped - even partially - in her hot flesh. She rocked her hips gently, pressing down a bit further, and winced ever so slightly.

"Take your time," he said softly, pulling her tight against his chest, and kissing her deeply, "we're not in a rush."

She nodded, and slowly rolled her hips again. Pleasure was slowly replacing pain, and after what felt like ages, she sank further down, almost taking him completely, and buried her head in his neck, breathing hard. She caught her breath, and sunk the rest of the way, connecting them completely, causing them both to groan.

Neither made any attempt to move for a while as she adjusted, and he gently caressed her face and kissed her, before she lifted herself almost completely off him, and lowered herself back down at a deliciously slow pace. As soon as Kylo noticed that it was pleasure, and not pain, that she was feeling, they slowly started moving together.

"You feel amazing," he whispered, then cursed when she rose almost completely off him, only to lower herself even further so that he was pressing more deeply inside her than he'd been before.

Rey panted, feeling a familiar pressure build, and felt his hands start roaming over her, gently massaging her breasts. She rode him faster now, and once Kylo felt how close she was getting, he lowered a hand to continue his previous ministrations on her clit. It didn't take long before she tightened around him. With his free hand, he lifted her face so their eyes met, and he kissed her with the sweetest kiss she could imagine as she fell apart on top of him.

Kylo groaned, feeling her orgasm around him, and carefully flipped them so she laid beneath him. He supported himself on one arm, and wrapped his other arm under her hips, lifting them slightly, and thrust back into her harder than she'd been doing before.

She cried out as every bit of her tingled and somehow, she felt the same coil of pressure build again. "Please, Ben," she found herself asking, "faster."

He did as she asked, and leaned down to capture Rey's lips in a harsh, burning kiss. Her toes curled as she felt another orgasm ripping through her body, and he buried his head in her neck as he shuddered, pushed over the edge when he felt her come around him for the second time.

They remained wrapped around each other for a minute, until Kylo slowly pulled out of her, and she moaned at the loss. They both caught their breath, and she felt his arms wrap tightly around her, holding her to him. He peppered her forehead with soft kisses, and she glanced up, smiling widely at him.

"That was incredible. We're doing that again." she sighed.

He nodded, and smiled, then kissed her.

* * *

The next day, Rey had found herself placed on the table, her underwear removed and robe opened. They'd somehow gotten side-tracked while preparing lunch. Kylo sat in the chair front of her, perching her legs on the corners of the table. She was still sore from the day before, so he was taking his time licking, biting, and sucking until she started panting, moaning, and begging for him to do more, her back arching gently off the table.

He brought her to orgasm once, and paused to let her enjoy the high before replacing his mouth and fingers, continuing as he'd been.

"I...I'm not sure I can handle more," she gasped.

He lifted his head for a second, only to nod, smile, and say wickedly, "You can," before continuing.

He was right. Within minutes she was falling over the brink again, and he gave her more time to recover before he continued, softly caressing her legs, and pressing kisses to her thighs. When he started again, he slowed his pace, assuming correctly that she'd become quite sensitive to his touch.

"Ben, please," she whined, not even sure what she was asking for anymore.

He hummed against her, and the soft vibrations were too much to bear. It overwhelmed her - a stunning mix of pleasure and pain from overstimulation. She finally screamed his name, and that must have been what he'd wanted, because he finally slowed his fingers, and pulled away from her completely, grinning. Of course, neither of them realized Poe had walked in just a few seconds prior. He'd probably knocked, she realized, but they would never have heard him, no matter how loud he'd been knocking. It seemed he'd decided to just come in when he realized the door was unlocked.

"Fuck, guys, seriously? Would it have killed you to do that in a bedroom? Or...could you at least have locked the door?" they heard Poe exclaim loudly.

Rey sat up quickly, hanging her legs from the edge of the table. Kylo calmly pulled her grey robe back into place, and he stood up from his seat. Rey buried her face in his chest, mortified by the fact that Poe had probably just seen his friend pull an embarrassingly loud orgasm from her.

"Fuck," he continued, pacing in front of the door now, "I can't even begin to describe how much I didn't need to see that. I'm  _never_  eating at that table again. I mean, I know I encouraged this, but I didn't needed to  _see_ it."

"Are you done?" Kylo chuckled.

"On the table? Seriously?" Poe's tan skin had turned a deep shade of red.

"At least neither of us are currently naked," Kylo offered helpfully.

"Well, that's true, I guess," Poe finally stopped pacing, and leaned against one of the walls in the entry.

Rey finally got up the nerve to glance over at their unexpected guest, and laughed when she saw that he seemed to be doing whatever he could to avoid looking at them. "Uh, Poe," she asked, "can we help you?"

"Yeah," Kylo added, his voice dripping with sex, "If you didn't notice, we were a  _little_  busy."

"Right, yeah, sorry," Poe shook his head, "K, your parents actually sent me over."

Kylo groaned, and dropped his head to rest on Rey's shoulder. "Please don't talk about my parents right now."

Poe chuckled nervously, "Uh, well, apparently I need to remind you that there's a family dinner in the main house in about an hour. A belated birthday dinner for Rey?"

"We'll be there," Kylo nodded, "and we'll be on time...if you leave now."

"Yep," Poe replied quickly, opening the door, "Leaving now."

Rey looked up after he'd left and noticed Kylo gazing down at her, a look of pure adoration on his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a soft, slow kiss.

"So," Rey said quietly, "an hour, huh?"

"Mmm," he sighed. "And I know exactly how I'm going to spend it."

"Oh?" she asked, curious to hear his answer.

He leaned forward, both of his hands flat against the table on either side of her, and whispered into her ear. "In you."

* * *

As it turned out, they were still fifteen minutes late, and they both showed up a little out of breath. Rey pulled her hair into buns quickly, hoping it would be enough to salvage what was left of her hairstyle after the afternoon they'd had. Ben had started smirking a few minutes before they'd left, and he admitted that he'd accidentally left marks on her neck. She sighed, and took out the buns, resorting to a half-up, half-down style that actually looked pretty good while mostly covering the small, but noticeable, bruises.

When they finally arrived, only Poe seemed to be suspicious. Of course, he was more than suspicious since he'd seen actual  _proof_ , but Rey was relieved to notice that he hadn't told anyone.

Poe was already helping set the large table in the dining room. Han and Leia were still out in the kitchen, and Rey rushed in to greet them and ask if she could help.

Finally, everyone sat down and started passing around dishes.

"So," Leia directed at Poe, "how's married life? I'm sorry Jess couldn't make it tonight."

"It's great," Poe gushed. "I mean, it's been less than two days, and it's not  _that_  different since we've already lived together for a few years, but it's been incredible. We're actually going to start looking at houses soon. Our apartment is great, but we want kids at some point, and a one bedroom apartment in Coruscant doesn't make much sense anymore."

Leia smiled widely at the mention of kids. "You want kids? That's wonderful! I know your mother would be thrilled to be a grandmother." She glared half-jokingly over at Kylo, "You know, I'd love to have some grandchildren at some point."

Rey nearly spit out her drink.

"Might be a while," Poe commented, mildly amused by Rey's reaction, "K, isn't that woman you're seeing a bit younger?"

Kylo glared, knowing his friend was playing with fire, and changed the topic. "So, mom, dinner looks delicious."

"Huh...didn't you already eat?" Poe asked offhandedly, enjoying making his friends as uncomfortable as he'd been an hour or so earlier.

"It's one of Rey's favorite dishes," Leia smiled, a little unsure of what was going on between Poe and Kylo. Han kept looking at Rey curiously, trying to figure out what was going on. "I thought it would be nice to make it since we're a little late celebrating her birthday," Leia explained.

Rey nodded politely, smiling at Leia while desperately trying not to make eye contact. She couldn't possibly have sunk further into her chair.

"So sweetheart," Leia asked, "we have a present for you - it's from Han and I," she glanced over at Kylo and added, "Sorry I didn't ask if you wanted to go in on it with us. I just assumed you'd have already gotten her a present."

Poe spoke up before Kylo could, and said in a reassuring tone, nodding rapidly, "Oh he  _definitely_  already gave it to her earlier."

Kylo coughed, and sputtered, now mirroring Rey's deep level of embarrassment.

"Okay," Rey announced loudly, standing up suddenly, "I'll...be right back."

"I think I'm going to go see if she's okay," Leia commented, "she seemed really flushed."

Leia followed her out into the kitchen, and as soon as he knew she was out of earshot, Han exploded.

" _Rey?"_ he whispered loudly, "Kylo, are you fucking  _kidding_  me? Tell me I'm misunderstanding something! Of all the stupid-ass things you've done, please tell me you didn't  _sleep with Luke's daughter_."

Kylo sighed and shrugged awkwardly, assuming there was no point in denying it.

"Shit," Han said, pulling his fingers through his hair, groaning loudly, "I know your mother's been thinking something was going on between you two, but I was hoping you'd be smart enough not to act on it. And you," Han hissed at Poe, "Stop all the wisecracks. If I didn't fear for my son's life, I might this was funny, but right now you need to stop. Not a  _word_ of this to Leia, you hear me? I'd never hear the end of it."

Kylo snorted, "Fear for my life? It's just...sex, not skydiving."

"Oh, what," Han laughed nervously, "You think Luke would just be okay with this? Have you lost your  _mind_? How can I explain this to you more clearly? She's his  _daughter_. You'll be damn lucky if he doesn't kill you in your sleep when he finds out."

Han quieted, hearing someone walk in the hall. "You," he pointed at Kylo, "we'll talk later."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Letters.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is dissonance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh you're all going to hate me so much. I'd say "enjoy", but...well….
> 
> Anyway, to make up for this chapter, I've also posted chapter 20, which will be my last, unless I feel the need to write an epilogue.

_Han quieted, hearing someone walk in the hall. "You," he pointed at Kylo, "we'll talk later."_

* * *

Dinner was a little awkward after she returned, Rey noticed, but she was relieved that Poe didn't make any more comments. There was a strange amount of tension between the men at the table, which she hadn't expected, and she was curious about what had happened while she'd been gone. After dinner she offered to help Leia clean up, and she couldn't help but pause when she saw Han nearly yank his son into the study immediately after dinner. She shrugged, assuming she'd catch up with him later and ask him about it then.

* * *

Kylo reluctantly followed Han into the room - as if the man had given him much of a choice, and he couldn't help but smile when he remembered that it was the first place he'd kissed Rey.

"Look, kid," Han shook his head. The anger had finally left his voice, and now what was left was mostly frustration and the urge to knock back a  _lot_ of whiskey. "You've got to tell me where your head is on this. I don't want details, I just want to make sure you're being smart here."

"Dad," Kylo scoffed, "It's nothing, don't worry."

Neither of the men could have known that Leia had waved Rey away from helping, or that she'd decided to forego her plan to just ask Kylo about it later. Neither of them realized she'd come to the study to see if everything was okay.

Neither of them could have predicted that she'd heard him call them... _nothing_ , and they also didn't know that she'd feel something, a deep fear, in the pit of her stomach when she heard it. It was nightmare she'd hoped would never come true, but it finally had. They were  _nothing_.

" _Nothing_?" she heard Han ask harshly, "So, what, it's  _casual_?"

Kylo sort of shrugged, and sighed, but Rey didn't hear that. All she heard was how he didn't verbally correct his father, and she didn't stick around to hear any more of their conversation. Han had been right, all those years ago. Sometimes, listening in to private conversations really didn't work in your favor. She rushed out of the house, into her own, and slammed the door behind her.

"You know, kid," Han said sadly, "You've gotten into some real shit before. In the past, I've been disappointed in your decisions, but...I've never been disgusted by them. It's  _nothing_ , huh?" he huffed, "You've got a lot to learn about women, kid. I might not notice much, but I can tell you right now, it's not  _nothing_ to her."

The man shook his head again. "Casual or not, whatever it is, be honest with her about it. Women always figure out the truth." He sighed, and repeated, "Always."

He got up, and walked away, leaving Kylo alone with his thoughts.

* * *

When he returned to the guest house, Kylo had walked into an angry hornet's nest without realizing it. He noticed something was wrong, sure, but he could never have guessed what it was.

She was unloading the dishwasher, a simple task she performed at least once a week, but now she could barely finish it. She slammed each cup and plate on the counter, treating each item with just a fraction of the anger and pain that coursed through her.

Rey only stopped when she shattered one of their glasses. Kylo had been watching her cautiously from the door, and rushed to help when he noticed she'd cut her hand on one of the shattered pieces.

"Hey, what's going on?" he asked gently, "Was it the stuff Poe said?"

"Leave me alone," she hissed, not meeting his eyes.

"What? Rey, talk to me," he said softly, reaching out to put his hand on her shoulder.

She recoiled from his touch. "Don't pretend like you care," she muttered.

"Pretend?" He found himself more and more confused. "Rey, seriously, what's going on?"

She spun around and if looks could kill, she would have cut him down where he stood.

" _Nothing_ ," she replied icily, "that's what's going on."

He caught on faster than she would have expected, and his eyes blew wide.

"You heard that?" He watched in horror as she nodded.

He bumped back against the counter behind him, struggling to figure out how to explain what she'd heard. "I didn't know you were listening," he explained quickly, "We haven't actually talked about this…I'm not sure if there's anything to be upset about."

"Nothing to be upset about? You're  _not sure_  why I'm upset?" she repeated, and scoffed. She shook her head and leaned against the counter, then crossed her arms.

"I'm in love with you," she stated plainly, her voice louder now, more firm, and rigid. The words weren't beautiful, as they should have been. They were as harsh and cold as the winter in Hoth. "And apparently, this," she gestured between them, "is  _nothing_. You really can't figure out why I'm upset?"

She was looking up at him, her eyes pleading for him to say it back. But he didn't. He froze.

Rey's face fell and she exhaled a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

She finally had her answer.

She slowly walked around him, and left the kitchen. He heard her bedroom door slam, and that was what snapped him out of it.

"Rey!" he snapped, trying her bedroom door. She'd locked it.

"We can talk about it in the morning," he heard her say from the other side of the door.

He leaned against the wall and felt himself slide down it until he sat on the floor across from her door. He hung his head, sighed, and listened as she started to cry.

* * *

His alarm went off early the next morning, but it didn't matter. Kylo wasn't sleeping. He'd been in his room all night trying to figure out how to explain what Rey had heard, and he'd been trying to figure out how to recover what they had.

When he'd given up his post at her door, realizing she truly had no intention of letting him in, he'd come back to his room. His stomach dropped when he saw the bed they'd made love in barely twenty four hours earlier, and decided he didn't have it in him to sleep in it. Not without Rey.

Instead, Kylo had settled for his desk chair, and he jumped up from it when he heard a knock. Oddly enough, it was coming from the front door, and he opened it to find his mother wearing a heavy heart on her sleeve.

"Kylo," she said quietly, "is everything okay?"

His eyes widened just enough for her to notice, and he shook his head, then opened the door further to let her in.

She took a seat on the couch, and he sat on the chair across from her, waiting for his mother to say something.

"Rey left rather quickly after dinner last night," Leia paused.

"Yeah," Kylo nodded, unsure of how much his mother knew. "She's...upset with me."

"Does this have anything to do with what was going on with you and Poe over dinner?"

Kylo paled, and nodded, "He...walked in on us when we were," he swallowed, "...together."

She huffed, "I thought it must have been something like that. He's really not subtle. Even your father noticed. You know, he finished off nearly half a bottle of whiskey last night."

"Right," Kylo replied quietly.

"But that doesn't explain why she'd be upset with you," Leia commented, an eyebrow raised questioningly. "What did you do?"

Kylo sighed loudly, and rested his head in his hands. He swallowed hard, and readied himself to explain the situation. "We've been together since Poe's wedding. Or...I don't know, it's been since before then. I've had feelings for her for years, but I'm not sure how it's been for her." He paused, "Dad figured it out over dinner and wanted to talk to me after we were done eating. He asked me where my head was on all of this, and I didn't respond well."

Leia nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"I didn't know she could hear me," he whispered, and a look of sudden understanding crossed Leia's face. "I told Dad it was nothing. I...I think I gave Rey the impression that I thought things between us were casual."

Leia blanched, and spoke calmly, "She loves you, you know."

"Yeah," he said shakily, "she told me that last night."

"And you...told her you feel the same way?" Leia asked hopefully, knowing it likely wasn't the case.

"No," he admitted softly, "I froze. I didn't say anything. Actually," he scoffed, "I think I spent more time trying to excuse what she'd heard."

"Why didn't you just tell her?" Leia asked gently, "It's obvious you feel the same way."

"I think I'm too scared I'll mess it up," he explained.

"Seems like you already did," Leia paused, pursing her lips. "You can't just dive into a relationship assuming it'll go wrong. Especially not with someone you love, like Rey. You have to have…" she took a minute to find the right word. "Hope. And, hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you see it, you're never going to make it through the night."

Kylo shuddered at her words, knowing how horribly he'd handled everything. He glanced back at the door to Rey's room. "I should go talk to her."

Leia hesitated. "Well, that's how I knew to come by," she explained, "Rey stopped by this morning. She left early, and went home to Ahch-To. She'll be back in about a month for the fundraiser and the start of her senior year, of course, but I got the impression that she needed to clear her head. She insisted nothing was wrong, but that girl's never been good at hiding her emotions."

She watched as her son flew into a panic, jumping up from his chair and making his way toward Rey's bedroom door. He opened it quickly, and realized BB-8 wasn't waiting to greet him. Some of Rey's drawers were open, and the small luggage from under her bed was gone. It seemed like she'd packed in a hurry.

Leia knew there wasn't much more she could say to him at the moment, and so, she left.

Kylo paused for a minute when he saw what rested on Rey's bed. It was a beautifully monogrammed mahogany box, maybe a bit bigger than a shoebox. He recognized it as something her grandfather had given her. Resting on it was a small piece of paper, and when he read it, it felt like his heart had seized.

_Ben,_

_I've left my heart with you._

_Both metaphorically, and with this box._

_Please respect that I need space, at least for a little while._

_I love you._

_R_

* * *

About a week later, Leia finally accepted the sixth call she'd received from her brother. She hadn't dared to answer the phone sooner, assuming he'd be angry, and had decided to give him some time to calm down.

"Hello, Luke," she answered calmly.

"What happened? Why haven't you been answering my calls?" he asked sharply, his voice laced heavily with emotion. "Why is Rey such a mess? Why won't she talk to me?"

"Luke," Leia said softly, "I think it was just a misunderstanding."

"Just a misunderstanding?" Luke asked, "What kind of misunderstanding causes this reaction? Leia, she's acting like she just got her heart broken."

"It'll work itself out, Luke," she responded quietly, "just, make sure she comes back."

"Well," he sighed, still sounding very concerned, "I couldn't get much out of her, but from what I understand, she's coming back to be at some sort of fundraiser you're putting on?"

"In a few weeks, yes," Leia nodded. "We're opening another large library in one of the underfunded communities outside the city. Kylo's helping out with it."

Luke hesitated, "Why do I get the feeling he's the reason she's like this?"

"Because you're her father," Leia sighed. "You know her well."

Luke paused. "I don't know what your son did, but I never want to see her cry like this again."

* * *

Poe had just arrived back from an international honeymoon, and turned on his phone for the first time in two weeks to find almost a dozen missed calls from Kylo. He tried calling his friend's phone, only to get his voicemail.

Rather than start their usual game of phone tag, he decided to simply stop by that afternoon, wisely choosing to knock and wait patiently outside the door to the guest house. Nobody answered, but Poe heard the sound of glass break. Muttering a quick prayer in hopes that he wouldn't walk in on anything, he opened the unlocked door.

Kylo was sitting on the floor of the living room, his back against the couch, and his legs stretched out in front of him. There was a wooden box sitting open to his right, and the whole space around him seemed to be covered in paper. Poe also took note of a partially drank bottle of Corellian whiskey sitting on the coffee table, and what seemed to be a shattered glass broken against one of the entry walls.

"Uh...K, this scene is somehow worse than the last one I walked in on."

Kylo looked up at him with reddened eyes. "She never stopped writing, Poe. Not for long, at least."

"Sorry K, I'm going to need a bit more information," Poe said quietly, moving to sit in the chair across from his friend.

Kylo explained everything that had happened leading up to and including Rey's departure.

"Now she won't return my calls," he explained, "and she left this box. And," he gestured at all the letters, "what am I supposed to do now? There are hundreds of letters in here. I've been reading through all of them, and I don't know...at some point, sometime when she was like, 19, they started turning into love letters. I don't know if she realized it. But she started signing them  _Love, Rey_ , and maybe they weren't love letters, but they feel that way."

Poe sighed, but didn't respond, and let his friend continue.

"But, these letters go all the way back to when she was a kid. She kept all the ones I sent, and then, remember how we stopped writing at some point?" He watched Poe nod. "Rey never did, at least not for more than a year or so. She kept writing me letters...she just never sent them. She's always been there for me, Poe. I just never knew it."

He shuddered, and whispered "I feel like I can't breathe anymore."

"You know you're in love with her, right?"

Kylo looked up at his friend, surprised he'd finally responded. He nodded.

"So," Poe asked slowly, "what are you going to do about it?"

Poe watched as his friend looked straight ahead, at nothing in particular, and whispered, "I'm not going to do anything." He looked back up at Poe, "I had no idea she felt like this. I didn't realize. I knew how I felt, but I never thought it would be mutual. Now that I know how much I could hurt her if we try to make it work and I screw this up...I'm scared. I'm not going to do that to her. I can't. She'll get over this eventually and maybe we can find some new normal as friends, but I'm afraid that if we try this, sure, maybe it'll be great for a year, maybe two. But I'll fuck it up. Either that, or she'll realize she can do better. I just know it."

The man sighed, and shook his head, "K, her note said she needed space, right?"

Kylo nodded.

"Well," Poe sighed, "Then you respect that. You wait for her to come back, and," he took the bottle from the coffee table, "you have a drink with a friend. But most importantly, you really think about whether or not that's the path you want to take."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Wise words from Luke.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we find resolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last chapter. I'm currently planning on posting a fluffy epilogue to make up for all the seriousness of the last two chapters.

Luke took a deep breath once he parked the rental car in Han and Leia's driveway. He looked over at Rey, who wore the most hardened look he'd seen from her.

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked, not really expecting much of a response. She didn't seem to want to talk to him about anything that was going on.

"Yep," she clipped, "I'm fine."

"Please, don't go in there with that attitude," Luke warned, "Leia's convinced that what happened was just a misunderstanding."

"I doubt that."

"Well, look," Luke sighed, "Leia said you can use one of the guest rooms to get ready in. We're leaving for this fundraiser-gala-dinner, whatever it is, at 6:45 sharp. Leia already got you a dress, and I know she appreciates the fact that you're still coming to this."

"I promised her I would," Rey shrugged.

Luke sighed, "Look, kid, I can't tell you what to do here. Do I  _like_  the idea of you with my nephew, who, may I add, is considerably older than you? No, I don't. But if I had to pick between seeing you the way you are around him, and seeing you like this?" He shook his head. "Just...talk to him. Either you still feel like this after you talk and you figure it out from there, or you find out Leia was right."

Rey thought about his words for a few minutes, and reluctantly nodded. "Okay," she said softly.

* * *

Of course she'd picked blue.

Rey scoffed, annoyed at the dress Leia had set out for her. She was in the old spare bedroom - the one she'd always used to sleep in whenever she'd come for a visit.

She took a deep breath and put her annoyance aside. Her father was right. It was worth finding out for sure whether or not she'd made a mistake when she left as quickly as she had.

She put on the dress (which she admitted, was beautiful and very flattering), fixed her makeup, took a deep breath, and walked out the door.

* * *

Rey felt his gaze before she saw him.

The fundraiser, as it turned out, was some sort of fancy dinner, with a live band and dancing. It was the sort of event rich people paid a high per-plate fee to attend. She found herself relieved Leia had chosen her dress, because it helped her not feel quite so out of place.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that he was there, so she turned around, and there he was.

She steeled herself, preparing for the worst. "We should talk," she said cautiously.

He nodded, and held his hand out, "Why don't we dance?"

Rey agreed reluctantly, refusing to let her hope build, and followed him out onto the floor. He put his arms around her, and for a second, it seemed like none of the recent events had happened. She squashed the feeling quickly.

"I read the letters," he said quietly, after a minute of silence. "We can't do this."

She felt herself turn to stone, and she backed away, turned, and walked out of the room.

Luke intercepted her before she got to the door, but when he say her stony gaze, he got out of her way.

"I never should have told him how I felt."

It was the only explanation she offered him.

Kylo watched as she walked out, and his uncle stared him down. He walked over to the man, who never once broke eye contact.

"Let's talk, kid."

Kylo nodded, assuming it would be easier to agree, and followed his uncle out into the hallway. He didn't see Rey. She must have left.

Once they got out into the hall they were alone, and Luke's quiet rage became obvious. "What the hell did you just do?"

Kylo swallowed hard, and answered carefully, "What I had to. Rey and I...I never should have tried to make that happen. She's better off this way, trust me."

Luke scoffed, shaking his head, "I'm sick of you being such an ass. In case you hadn't noticed - though, I assume you must have at some point - Rey is an adult. She's not a kid, not a teenager - she's a woman who can make up her own damn mind about her feelings. And she  _loves_  you, and it's pretty clear to everyone else that you adore her."

"Let me ask you this," he continued, not letting Kylo get a word in. "How would you feel in, say, a year, if she was with someone else? How would you feel if you had to watch her find happiness with another man? Because eventually that's what's going to happen if you don't get your shit together."

Anger flashed in his nephew's eyes.

"Yes – that – right there. That anger - that proves my point," Luke stated.

"You know, she finally told me a lot of what happened," he continued taunting quietly. "Obviously she left out some details, but I'm not as oblivious as you probably think. Are you really trying to claim that you didn't feel anything – not a single thing – when you kissed her? When she looked up at you with those big beautiful, doe eyes, and told you she was in love with you? You felt  _nothing_?"

The word that started this mess set Kylo off.

"Yes, of course I felt something!" Kylo finally snapped. "Is that what you want to hear? Do you want to hear how I thought I'd never be happier than I was waking up next to her for the first time? Do you want to hear about how I realized I was wrong, because I was so much happier when I found out she was in love with me?"

He continued angrily, barely stopping for a breath. "Or maybe you'd like to know all about how living with her has been like fucking _torture,_  because every minute I spend next to her without telling her how I feel crushes me? Do you want the details on how concentrating on anything – even breathing – feels impossible around her because all I can think about is how in love with her I am?"

Luke smirked, completely unsurprised by his nephew's reaction. What did surprise him was that Rey had returned, and had stopped at the end of the hall, listening to his declaration.

Kylo hadn't noticed her presence, and continued half-yelling at his uncle. "Of  _course_  I'm in love with her. Of  _course_  I never want to see her with someone else – the thought of her with someone else makes me physically  _sick_  – is that what you wanted to hear me say?"

"You have to tell her," Luke said quietly. "You'll regret it if you don't."

"Uncle Luke, you're missing the point. None of that matters. I'm preventing something that's just bound to...end badly. She's…she's incredible," he breathed. "The most incredible woman I've ever met. And if you'd seen me in relationships, you'd know. I ruin them. I never care enough, or I'm too protective, I'm impatient, jealous – whatever the reason, things never end well. There's no way I'm good enough for her."

"Is that really how you feel?" a soft voice said from behind him. He looked back to see Rey, tears in her bright eyes.

His throat went dry, and he found himself unable to respond, so he just nodded.

"How could you let me believe you didn't care? Just because, you're...what, afraid? How can you be so stupid?" she asked, her arms folded over her chest. "You're more than enough. You're all I ever wanted." She took a deep breath, and let a tear fall from one of her eyes, "Ben, you're my home."

Luke backed away from the situation, and left the hall, knowing there was nothing left for him to say. He returned to their table, and sat down next to Leia and Han.

"You owe your wife $20."

"What?" Leia asked, "Wait, did they work things out?"

"Well," Luke sighed, "I really debated strangling your son for a while. But I thought that would just upset her more. I settled for getting him to admit how he feels. Somehow, I even got him to admit it while she was within earshot."

"Wow," Leia smiled, "that's surprising. He's terrible at admitting feelings. Got it from his father."

Han glared, finally handing her a bill from his wallet.

"You seem very... _okay_  with this," Leia commented, taken aback. She'd assumed he'd take a long time to forgive Kylo, and possibly even her and Han.

"The way I see it," Luke explained, "he was willing to spend the rest of his life being in love with her from a distance just so he didn't risk hurting her." He sighed, "It's certainly not logical, but when is love ever logical?"

Back in the hallway, Kylo blinked, unsure of how to react.

"I know you love me, and whether you believe it or not, I know this is going to work," she whispered. "Please, just trust me."

Kylo took a deep breath, and made what felt like the most terrifying decision of his life.

He took her face in his hands, wiped an errant tear, and kissed her.


	21. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a question answered.
> 
> [ Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/) 


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As an apology for the seriousness of the last two chapters, here's your fluff. Enjoy the Epilogue.

Within days Kylo found himself wondering how he could have ever expected things to go wrong. This was  _Rey_. How could it ever go wrong? They'd settled back into their normal routines somewhat easily, though they spent a few late nights discussing what had happened, and where things had gone wrong - even if they'd only gone wrong for a short amount of time. Finally, they reached the conclusion that being together was more than worth the risk, and once that conclusion was final, the residual pain from previous events melted away.

He kept the letters, though. Treasured them, more accurately.

Just a few nights after the fundraiser that had changed his life forever, Kylo came home to hear Rey on a video chat with her friend. He listened to her describe the events to Rose.

"That's...oddly romantic. I mean, you know you never should have left, right? And...well, actually, you  _both_  handled it terribly," Rose responded, a little harshly.

Rey laughed. She'd missed her friend's honesty. "Yeah, we did. Hindsight, though, you know?"

"That's true," Rose agreed. "At least there was probably make up sex. Right?"

Kylo was sure that was a comment that would make Rey blush.

"There was!" he heard Rose exclaim, laughing at her friend's embarrassment.

"Yes, Rose," he replied, entering her bedroom, "and there's about to be more, so goodnight!"

Rose giggled, and waved goodbye to Rey, who was most definitely red. The girls ended the call, and Rey shook her head at him.

"I can't believe you just said that."

He chuckled, "I wasn't bluffing."

She smiled, and explained, "It's been settled, there's no need for any making up."

"Oh, I don't know," he said doubtfully, joining her on the bed, wrapping an arm around her, "I think I'll be making this up to you for years." He gave her an intense look, as if he desperately needed to impress upon her the importance of what he was saying. "You stopped me from making a decision I would have regretted for a long time."

Kylo leaned over, and pulled her in for a slow, intimate kiss.

"Actually," she sighed, "I think that was my father. I just happened to overhear the conversation."

Kylo groaned. "Can we please not talk about family members when I'm trying to seduce you?"

Rey laughed, and nodded in agreement, "Oh, seduce away, by all means."

He loved to watch her laugh, which was good, because she laughed often. He smiled at her mocking tone, and kissed her again.

"I love you," he whispered softly.

She smiled, knowing she'd never tire of hearing or saying the words.

"I love you too."

* * *

"Go a bit more gently. Ease it in. Perfect, just like that. Go slow, we're not in a rush."

She couldn't hold it back any longer, and laughed hysterically at his words, bringing the car to a full, sudden stop.

"Is that really what you'd call gentle?" Kylo asked, somewhat annoyed.

"I'm sorry," she said, attempting to catch her breath. She was laughing too hard. "It's just, every direction you've been giving sounds so sexual. I don't know if it's the words, or the way you said them, but I couldn't handle it any longer."

He thought about it for a minute, then blushed, and nodding. "Okay, maybe we'll work on parking another time."

Miraculously, he managed to teach her how to drive before winter, but she found that she had a hard time not giggling each time she needed to park a car.

* * *

After a month or so of playfully arguing which bed to sleep in each night, they realized there was an obvious solution. They picked his room to share, since it was a bit bigger, and had two closets. Since they now had a room to spare, Rey invited Rose and Paige to stay for a few weeks over the holiday break before her last spring semester. The girls had only stayed for a long weekend when they'd come a year or two before for her birthday, and now they were looking forward to a longer visit.

"Hey, why don't we invite your friends from school?" Kylo suggested one evening, a few days before the girls were set to arrive. "Finn and Connix? We could do a movie night or something."

"Paige and Rose would love that," Rey nodded. "It's a great idea."

In the spirit of the holiday, the popular vote at the movie night they hosted was  _Home Alone_. Paige, Rose, and Rey had decorated sugar cookies, and Kylo insisted on their usual order of pizza. Everyone settled in happily to watch the movie, Rey and Kylo sharing a seat and a blanket, and Rey couldn't help but notice the looks shared between Finn and Rose.

* * *

"Uncle Luke, I'm just looking for a yes or a no," Kylo said, a little frustrated. He'd been ready to finish their conversation ten minutes earlier. They were going to unwrap presents the next morning, and Kylo hadn't wanted to have this conversation over the phone, so his only choice had been to pull Luke aside after the family holiday dinner.

"I'm not the one you should be asking," Luke chuckled.

"Yeah," Kylo rolled his eyes slightly, "I know that, but, I just want to know what you think."

"Do you want my advice as your uncle, or as Rey's father?"

Kylo took a deep breath, "Both."

Luke nodded, and smiled, "Do it."

"You're sure?"

Luke noticed his nephew's relief. "Yeah, you'd be an idiot not to."

"It's not too soon?"

Luke groaned and shook his head, "She's loved you for years. Just do it."

Kylo paused, "You think she'll say yes?"

Luke raised an eyebrow, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you really have to ask?"

"I'm just," Kylo sighed shakily, "nervous. Really nervous."

"This must be genetic," Luke laughed, "Your father was the same way. I practically had to talk him into it, even after he'd bought the ring. Speaking of," Luke asked, "did you get one?"

Kylo look a small item from his pocket, and handed it to his uncle.

"This was our mother's," Luke murmured, "I didn't realize Leia had this."

Kylo nodded, and explained, laughing nervously, "Believe it or not, she actually gave me that about two and a half years ago, just after Rey's 20th birthday." He snorted, "With the comment that it would look good on Rey, specifically, and that I was under direct orders to either give it to her, or give it back. I was completely shocked."

"Typical Leia," Luke chuckled.

* * *

Rey woke up the next morning, surprised to find that she was the only one in bed. She climbed out and found some cozy socks, then stole a sweater she found hanging from one of the hooks in the closet. Not that it was in  _her_ closet (or her sweater), but that had never stopped her before. She padded out into the main living space. Paige and Rose had left for Ahch-To a few days earlier to spend the holiday with their family, so Ben was the only one waiting for her in the kitchen.

"Hey," she whispered, as if it were too early to speak at a normal volume, "why are you up so early?"

He smiled, and encircled her in a tight embrace, pulling her to lean against him. "I had a little trouble sleeping. I didn't want to wake you up, so I came out here." He shrugged, "And I thought you'd like some tea when you woke up."

She sighed, and smiled, "You're wonderful, you know."

"I think I remember you telling me that once," he chuckled. "Though, I think you were drunk at the time."

Rey laughed, and reached up to kiss him.

"You know, I thought we could open a few presents here," he suggested, "just us? Before we open the rest with everybody?"

She nodded, smiling.

When they sat by the tree, Kylo handed her a small stack of three boxes, tied with a blue ribbon. The first box was an ornament - a small car that closely resembled the one he taught her to drive.

"I still can't park without laughing," she commented, watching with glee as his skin flushed.

The second box was another ornament, though, this one earned an odd, slightly concerned look from Rey. "Is...is this an ax? What on earth sort of holiday ornament is this?"

Kylo laughed, realizing how odd it must have seemed, "Sorry, that probably needed more explanation. I never got you an ornament related to  _The Shining_ , so I thought I'd give you one now."

"Ohhh," she exclaimed, "That makes much more sense. I'll admit," she laughed, "I was really confused by that one."

"Here, there's one more," he smiled, realizing he could actually feel his own heart pounding.

She opened it just as she had the other two boxes, but she didn't take out the item inside. Instead, her eyes grew wide, and she looked questioningly up at him. They sat in silence for a few seconds until she asked," Are- Are you…"

"Asking you to marry me?" He breathed and nodded, still feeling his heart pound. He realized he was terrified, no matter how reassuring Luke had been.

"Wow," she took a few deep breaths and kept looking between him and the ring.

"You don't have to decide right now," he offered quickly.

"Oh, it's a yes," she said casually, as if it were obviously the only possible answer, "I'm just really surprised."

"Wait, you're saying yes?" He felt time slow down as she smiled up at him.

"Of course," she laughed. "Did you really think I'd give you a different answer?"

Kylo felt himself breathe again, immediately relieved. "Honestly, I had no idea what you'd say. I've been freaked out for weeks."

Rey glanced at him in disbelief, and then laughed hard. "Of  _course_  I'd say yes."

He grinned at her reaction, and said softly, "I love you."

She nodded. "I know."

**Author's Note:**

> [ Attack's Tumblr](https://attackofthedarkcurses.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [ Attack's Twitter](https://twitter.com/AttackotDC)


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